That's CAPTAIN t'ye, savvy?
by blushingbeauty86
Summary: The most amazin' story ye'll 'ave the pleasure of readin'. Well, true t'say tha' no one could really make such an assumption. But I highly suggest ye take a look.
1. Bloody Pirate

Based a year after the movie left off, you will find old characters and new characters, humor and drama, love and loathing... and Jack.

**_As you may or may not be aware, I do Not own the Pirates of the Caribbean. Unfortunate but true. I do Not own Captain Jack Sparrow nor any item affiliated with such and I do not own the Black Pearl nor a thing that rests on her decks. Unfortunate again. Still true. I am simply ... well, I have a strong like for the movie. AND Johnny Depp. That's all I have in my favor for writing this story. So, if you would be so obliged, please read the tale. If not... whatever does it fer ye, mate._**

Marry Norrington. Marry Norrington. Christina rolled the statement over and over in her head as she stood on the wooden planks of the docks in the early morning chill. Marry Norrington. He was at least thirty-five at very best. She was twenty-two. Marry Norrington. Was this how she was supposed to live? To marry Norrington?

In her dilemma, she almost didn't notice the red coated soldiers bustling busily around her in anticipation for the arrival of the Black Pearl. For the arrival of Elizabeth Turner, her best friend and cousin and more importantly to them, the Governor's daughter. And for the arrival of Will Turner, her husband, blacksmith turned not so terrible pirate.

A frown creased Christina's pretty youthful features. And the arrival of this Jack Sparrow bloke whom everyone seemed so nervous about. Apparently he was some famous pirate who outsmarted everyone he crossed, outsmarted everyone who crossed him and bewildered everyone else. All she knew was that he was the one who had nicked off with Will and Elizabeth for the past year. That was enough for him to deserve her disdain.

Marry Norrington. The thought voiced it's unwelcome self once again as Christina lifted her hand before her face to regard it. The hand that was seemingly overpowered by the large and beautiful ring on the finger attached to it. She sighed. Marrying Norrington was she.

The black sails that had been creeping closer as she mulled sullenly she now finally noticed and a surprisingly exquisite smile found her face, crinkling her emerald eyes. She laughed as she spotted Elizabeth waving frantically at her and lifted her hand further now to wave back. The red coats bustled busier and busier still as the ship approached, looking strangely out of place with it's dark sails and savage looking crew. Christina easily sighted the infamous, and disdained in her books, Captain Jack Sparrow, standing casually at the helm and identifiable by the floppy, overly large hat on his head.

As ropes were tied and a gangplank was lifted, the thoughts of marrying Norrington banished themselves from Christina's mind and she gave into the joy at seeing her cousin for the first time in a year. A long and eventful year for the both of them. Elizabeth waited eagerly as the gangplank was set safely in place and was the first one off the Pearl, running for Christina at full speed with a grin a mile wide on her face. Pushing past the red coats she finally reached Christina and pulled her into a deathly tight embrace, showing no sign of letting go anytime soon. Finally, a little short of breath, Christina pulled back, still grinning.

"Oh, Chris, you look beautiful," Elizabeth gushed, her honey eyes shining with happy tears.

"And I see a year married to a pirate hasn't done you too badly," Christina smiled, seeing Will approach from behind his wife.

"Good to see you, Chris. Despite the occasion," he greeted, pulling her into another tight embrace.

Christina bit back a laugh when she saw Elizabeth clench her teeth and shoot a warning glare at Will for mentioning the reason for their returning to Port Royal. Her marriage to Norrington had obviously been discussed.

"It won't be that bad. He's a good man. Really," Elizabeth encouraged, squeezing Christina's arm affectionately.

And this would have worked to calm her nerves had Elizabeth not sounded like she was trying to convince herself on the matter. Christina offered a weak smile and turned her attention to the dreaded haired, long coated captain swaggering their way, taking the rare opportunity to shake each stunned soldier's hand he passed without being arrested for it.

She was not suprised that as he approached, he also took the opportunity to take in the sight of her, feet to hips to chest to head. Not suprised in the least when he slung his arms drunkenly around Will and Elizabeth's shoulders, seemingly needing support to stand in his intoxicated state.

"And 'o would this bonnie lass be?"

Christina resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Elizabeth sent her an apologetic look.

"This is Christina Lacimore. It's her wedding we're here for. Remember, Jack?" Will prompted, forever amused by the pirate's unusual nature.

"Oh, yes. The Commodore's woman. Pleased to make ye acquaintance, luv," Jack offered his hand, releasing Elizabeth from his embrace.

"It's Christina. Not 'luv'," Christina corrected unemotionally, eyeing his hand in apparent disgust.

Noticing this, Jack lifted his hand before his face to study his numerously ringed and cotton wound hand, turning it this way and that to regard it from all angles. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he lowered his brows and let it return to his side. Strange woman, this one. Nothing what he had expected. He inspected her openly. Pretty girl. Beautiful, really. Long, copper hair and stunningly green eyes. Curved to perfection and he was sure that if she did smile, highly unlikely at this stage, it would be a perfect one. He frowned again. Why would she marry a sod like Norrington?

"Terribly sorry, m'lady. It's not that often a lowly pirate such as meself is graced with such a beautiful woman's presence. Seems I wasn't thinkin' straight."

He gave her what he knew to be one of his most charming crooked smiles, resisting the urge to lower his eyes below her neck again.

Christina narrowed her eyes accusingly.

"Mr Sparrow, do you really think it suitable to be talking to a lady who is to be married tomorrow in such a flirtatious manner?" she inquired coldly.

Jack raised his brows in suprise. This he had not expected. The wench already had disdain for him when he had had no chance to invite nor provoke it. This had been the Commodore's work, he had not a doubt.

"It would appear that you have misjudged me intentions, Miss. I was only stating the obvious and if such be a crime, I plead guilty," he gave another dashing grin, hoping to disarm the attack early in it's blows.

"Crime, no. But I was raised to believe that a woman should be able to walk down the street without being victim to some ignorant fool's drunken slur about her appearance. Do you not agree, Mr Sparrow?"

Nay, this had not been expected at all. Caught off guard with no witty response to cover himself, Jack could only shrug. Oh, but it was a manly, careless shrug, he tried to tell himself. Much to his secret relief, Will and Elizabeth finally intervened.

"So, the wedding's tomorrow, right?" Will asked pleasantly as the four of them started to head for the Governor's house. Christina nodded. As her parents were living in America, she was living with the Governor, her uncle, while in Port Royal and had been for the past year.

The awkward catching up continued, lasting all the way to the destination. Christina couldn't help but to notice that Jack's silence, which she already knew to be highly uncharacteristic, also lasted all the way to the destination. Save for when he asked if and where he could get rum in Port Royal and also if there would be any rum at her wedding. She answered both briskly and detachedly, finding it intriguing that this had seemed to offend the unoffendable Captain.

"Elizabeth!" Governor Swan greeted upon seeing his daughter once inside the house. After giving her a warm hug, he shook hands with Will heartily. Then turned his attention to Jack.

"Mr Sparrow...," he recognized instantly. It had been rather unfortunate that the only way Will and Elizabeth could (or would, he thought) come to the wedding was on the Black Pearl with this fellow. He had had to have numerous conversations with Norrington to be sure that the pirate would not be arrested nor hung and would be treated as a normal citizen upon his arrival as such were the terms stated by his daughter and son in law.

"Governor! It's a pleasure to see you again," Jack greeted joyfully, even throwing his arms around the shaken wigged man. Governor Swan awkwardly returned the embrace, grimacing.

"Ahem, the same to you," he offered unconvincingly.

"Well done, mate. Ye almost pulled that off," Jack congratulated encouragingly, punching the Governor playfully in the shoulder.

"Will, show Jack around. We'll be upstairs," Elizabeth pronounced as she grabbed Christina's arm and pulled her up the stairs toward her room/ Christina's room.

Laying on their stomachs on the bed, the women talked, gossiped and shared stories about their year apart until their voices were hoarse and the sky was the dusty pink of dusk.

"We have to go out tonight, Chris," Elizabeth told her eagerly, an excited glow in her eyes.

Christina gave her a disapproving glance and shook her head.

"It's the night before my wedding, Liz. I can't go gallivanting about town with you and Will and a pirate getting drunk."

"You? Drunk? We both know how highly unlikely that is. Besides, think, it'll be your last blow to the face of society before you're tied down to a life of rules, regulations and childbirth," Elizabeth protested, flinging her arms in dramatic gestures as she eased herself up from the bed.

"Thanks for reminding me what I have to look forward to. Really. It's much appreciated."

"Sorry. But please? It will be fun I promise... And I won't let you get drunk."

"Aye, luv, ye should definitely join us."

This was Jack voicing his expert opinion on the matter as he watched from the doorway.

Christina rolled her eyes, not bothering to turn and face him.

"Thankyou for your input. And it's-"

"Christina. Yes, I know. How shall ye ever forgive me?" he grinned in reply.

"I shan't forgive you," she sniffed.

He narrowed his eyes with mock all knowing, "Actually, I believe ye shall. After I buy ye a rum."

"Jack, if you can get Chris to touch a drop of rum, you will have truly out done yourself," Elizabeth sighed sadly, a smile twitching at her lips as Christina glared at her. Although she could not care in the least what this pirate thought of her, Christina did not want to appear as... _frigid_.

"Always up to a challenge. Especially one involving in any means rum," Jack informed her matter of factly.

"So it's set. We leave in an hour. I'll go tell Will," Elizabeth confirmed with no affirmative from Christina needed as she left. Christina's jaw dropped in protest but, realizing it was too late, she snapped it shut again. She tensed, realizing she was alone in the room with... that pirate. She felt his eyes roaming her back as she laid facing away and rolled her eyes.

"Hasn't anyone told you it's cowardly to attack someone from behind?" she asked as she too stood from the bed.

"Well, last time I did it while ye were facing me and that didn't go down all that well, I seem to recall," Jack replied unphased, "So, this would be your room then?"

"Not for much longer," Christina answered, suddenly and without explaination, nervous as his booted footsteps echoed further into the room and his chocolate eyes roamed the space before coming to rest on her own.

"Aye, ye'll be moving into dearest Norrington's house after the wedding, I suppose," he mused. She narrowed her eyes at his ability to sound offensive without in fact being offensive and simply nodded.

Jack nodded back in response, his gaze refusing to lift from her heated face. This was rather amusing. The lass was embarrassed. By what, he wondered. Aye, marrying the Commodore would be an incredibly degrading experience to be sure. But it was something different that bothered her. He narrowed his eyes in thought. He already knew what it was.

"Ye don't love him, d'ye?"

The question was more of a statement. And like his 'attacking' her while she was facing him, it didn't go down all that well.

"Where do you get off saying what you please to who you please! You have no right to say such a thing, Mr Sparrow! There's this new technological advancement everyone's raving about. It's called decency. You should try it on for size!"

Christina gulped, short for breath. The speech had been intended to sound as an intelligent and controlled murmur of truths. It instead came out a defensive squeak with over the top gestures to match. She was incredibly frustrated that she had to avert her eyes for fear that they would betray the truth.

"As you wish, me lady. Ye shall not find such words nor anything of the likes escape me lips for the rest of me days."

Jack was instantly all mischievous smiles once again and put his hat to his chest solemnly, playfully mocking as Christina's eyes found his once more. She smirked in reply, a little flustered over her uncalled for outburst.

"Are we ready to leave?" Elizabeth called down the hallway eagerly.

Chris looked down at her dress, creased from laying on the bed and paced across to her double doored wardrobe, "Give me a minute."

She shuffled frantically through the dresses that hung within the wardrobe, frustrated at not finding a single one she thought suitable for a night out on the town. Not that she would know for better or worse. She had never had a night out on the town. Reaching the end of the dresses, she pulled them all back and started the procedure again from the other end.

"Well, I vote the blue one, luv."

Christina involuntarily jumped, having forgotten that the pirate was still in her room. She turned slowly to look at him, trying to look as uninviting and cold as possible.

"I'm sorry?"

"The blue one," Jack repeated, striding towards the wardrobe to point it out. The dress was a stunning midnight blue, boasting a sleeveless and low cut design. Black lace traced it?s curves and pink ribbon flirted it?s edges. It was beautiful, Christina had to admit as she ran her fingers over the lace up front.

"It was a gift from the Commodore," she mused softly both to herself and Jack.

"Pretty dress fer a pretty girl, eh?"

"Something along the lines of that I believe his words were."

"Aye, pulled that one before meself. Works like a charm."

Christina glared at Jack and his eyes widened innocently.

"But I'm sure the Commodore's intentions differed from mine dramatically," he assured her nervously.

"If you would be so kind, Mr Sparrow," Christina spat, motioning sharply for the door.

"Aye... But only ?cause ye insist, luv," he added suggestively before he disappeared into the hall so as not to hear her harsh retort.

"That bloody pirate," she muttered as she dressed. Although not thoroughly being able to mean it, much to her disgrace. Bloody pirate.

A couple of moments later, Christina emerged down the staircase, newly dressed and refreshed to meet a waiting Elizabeth, Will and Jack at the door.

She grinned as Elizabeth's breath visibly caught when she saw her.

"You look beautiful! Where on earth did you find that dress? It?s truly gorgeous," Elizabeth gushed, turning Christina around so she could see the back of the midnight number.

"The Commodore," Christina and Jack answered in unison. Christina stared at Jack and he flashed her a grin.

"Let?s get going, shall we?" Will asked pleasantly, offering his arm to Elizabeth. She smiled, emitting a glow that only was seen in happy wives and accepted and they headed outside.

Jack and Christina watched the practice with a mix of sentiment and discomfort.

Then, unexpectedly to both of them, Jack offered his own arm to her. Christina blinked in suprise at him before numbly accepting. Jack chuckled at her response.

"Rather disappointin' display of decency from a pirate, aye?" he asked as they walked through the front door after Will and Elizabeth.

"Indeed," Christina grinned with mock disapproval.

_If you like the tale thus far, please do not hesitate to give us a holler. And if you didn't, still feel free to do the same. Being unperfect, I cannot promise that I shall be as responsive to such but I shall try my very best. Cheers!_


	2. The Plan

_**I have decided to update you on my owning or not owning Pirates of the Caribbean and/or anything connected with it. No. I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean and/or anything connected with it. There ye go. Sad but true. Very sad, really. It's the sort of thing I could get rather depressed about... But I shall soldier on. Enjoy my babbling.**_

Still marrying Norrington. This small fact was the only thing that kept Christina from feeling completely at ease with the strange pirate holding her arm as they walked the distance to the other, more notorious side of Port Royal. She was still marrying Norrington in fourteen hours, eleven minutes and, according to Jack's pocket watch, thirty-three seconds.

Unfortunately for Norrington and possibly herself, she had constantly had to remind herself of that small fact several times during the hour long walk. The odd pair of the lady and the pirate followed at a comfortable pace behind Will and Elizabeth.

As expected, Jack's mind was on a completely different track than Christina's, this one leading towards a bed someplace. As far as he could tell, he was making good progress. The woman smiled at his jokes and looked him in the eye when speaking. Plus, as of yet, an insult had not passed through either of their lips. Yes, he was making very good progress, he decided inwardly.

Soon, the four reached their destination of the east of Port Royal, full of brothels and bars and the types of people these places attracted. Christina stared in awe, having never seen this not so perfect face of her home town.

Taking note of the lowering standards of the individuals around them, Jack stopped and rubbed his hands together gleefully, "Aye, we've arrived. Who do ye have t'bed t'get a rum?"

His eyes widened at his words, realizing who he had been speaking to. He cursed himself a thousand times silently. Stupid, idiotic, foolish git. So much for good progress. He met Christina's inquisitive stare with a nervous crooked smile.

"What I meant to say was... where could a gentleman, such as meself, purchase a mug of rum?" he tried to redeem himself. Relief relaxed his features when an involuntary smile twitched at Christina's lips.

"Gentleman?"

Jack lowered his brows.

"Are ye insinuating that I am not one, m'lady?"

Christina lifted hers.

"Are you suggesting that such an insinuation would be undeserved?"

"Ah, got me there, luv."

Aha! Redeemed! Jack could not believe his stupidity in doubting his incredible ability to get himself out of any uncomfortable situation. He really could not blame others for finding it hard to believe that he was so incredibly, dazzlingly amazing when, sometimes, he found it hard to believe himself.

"How about Sally's Pub?" Will called out to them, already being pulled in that direction by a giggling Elizabeth.

"Come, luv," Jack agreed, suddenly and without leaving her a chance to respond, he skillfully snaked his arm around Christina's waist and pulled her close to him. Yes, indeed, this night was heading in the right direction.

Aye, if it did, he would be responsible for the Commodore's loss of two women instead of one, but, he was after all a pirate. His mind, at the moment residing in his trousers, was in the right place considering his occupation.

Christina, oblivious to all of this was simply too stunned to move from her position of being pressed against the pirate. From here she could smell his unique scent of salt, rum and sweat. With wide eyes, she stared at him silently, not sure of what was expected of her in such a situation.

"Now, Miss Lacimore, I shall escort you into the depths of Sally's Pub where a fair maiden such as yeself would surely feel out of place with good reason. But I swear to you on pain of death to protect ye from any of the terrible menaces we may find within... on one small condition," he added seductively.

Christina could only continue staring, questioning words forming on her lips but her throat unwilling to carry sound to them. What on earth had the world trembling so violently! Oh. She blushed. It was not in fact the world but her trembling.

Jack grinned at this. The Sparrow had not lost his irresistible charm, it was clear as day. Ladies swooned to his left and right where he walked. Oh, the burden one must carry. Someone had to do it.

"What small condition, ye ask? Ye must let me buy ye a rum."

"A- a rum?" Christina managed finally.

"Aye, a rum."

"...Seems fair enough."

Christina extended her hand as far as she could towards him while standing so uncomfortably close.

"Aye, indeed it seems," Jack agreed, meeting her hand with his own and shaking it firmly, "We have an accord."

As soon as Christina took one step inside Sally's, she was glad that the deal had been made. Even in her full length dress and with other women around who were dressed much less modestly, she still felt a little cheap as dozens of men turned their head to leer at her lustfully. Lowering her eyes to the floor as to avoid their lingering stares, she abruptly turned to leave. Running straight into Jack's chest.

"Goin' somewhere, luv?" he asked cheerily, already whirling her back around and guiding her through the crowd to the table at the back where Will and Elizabeth waited.

"Where's me ru-"

"We've already ordered you some rum, Jack," Will assured him.

"Oh good," Jack said as he sat down beside him and Christina beside Elizabeth.

After a good hour of small talk and alcohol consumption, Will and Elizabeth exited for a walk around the area. Christina had arched a brow at this but was too intoxicated to come up with any witty comments about it.

Jack had just opened his mouth to slur something very important when a stumbling drunk tripped over to their table, grinning stupidly at Christina. Or more so, her chest with which he was at eye level with from his position of leaning unsteadily on the table.

"'Ello there, b'tiful."

Distaste curled Christina's lip and resentment darkened Jack's features.

"How's 'bout ye let m'buy ye a drink?" the drunked continued his conversation to her chest.

"How's about ye go back t'whence ye came, mate," Jack growled. This fool was not going to ruin his chances for later that night.

The man scowled at being interrupted, turning in the general direction of Jack.

"Look 'ere, _mate._ This lass ain't got yer name stamped on 'er fore'ead. How's 'bout ye find another suitor?"

"Do ye really think it a clever move t'call the Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl mate, mate?"

A blank expression showed on the man's face as he racked his alcohol slowed brain for who that name belonged to. Jack smirked when the blank expression replaced itself with one of fear.

"My lord. So- sorry Cap'n Sparrow fer botherin' ye and ye lady. Have a... have a pleasant evening," the man stuttered as he cautiously backed away from the table and disappeared back into the unruly crowd.

Christina laughed at the smug smile on Jack's lips.

"What kind o'glory hound enjoys sending gent'men back t'their seats, quivering in their boots?" she mocked, frowning that her words did not form perfectly.

"What kind of a fool could not enjoy it, luv?" Jack grinned.

Christina frowned again.

"Liz promised me she would'n lemme get drunk," she mused before leaning forward for Jack's inspection," Am I drunk?"

"Aye, luv, I believe ye may be onto somethin' there. But, onto more important matters, that rum..."

Christina grinned and lifted her brows in mock innocence.

"Why, what rum?"

"Our deal, lass. Ye didn't think I'd let ye go without fulfilling yer end of our deal, now did ye?"

Realization brightened Christina's eyes.

"Mmm, I do have a faint recall of tha' deal."

"Good, I shall return with yer rum. Don't go run off with some other drunk."

Christina shook her head. Too hard, it seemed. Her vision followed quite a ways behind her head and she almost toppled off the chair. She snorted in amusement. Yes, indeed, she was drunk. Oh dear.

It took a good half hour for Jack to return, two mugs of rum in hand. He chuckled at Christina, having apparently become completely obsessed with just what was underneath her chair as she leaned in an awkward position to have a looksee. He arrived just as she lost balance and he quickly righted the chair.

"Probably not the best idea t'do that while ye are still in fact sitting on the thing, luv," he informed her, amused as he set down her mug before her.

She giggled at his comment before eyeing the mug and it's suspicious contents nervously.

"Will I like it?" she asked him solemnly.

He laughed at this.

"Who will know until ye try the stuff? 'Sides, it's not like ye have the choice anymore. Our deal."

Now it was her turn to laugh. Jack frowned. The woman definitely had a strange sense of humor when she was drunk.

"I've already f'filled my end of th'deal, Mr Sparrow," she informed him proudly.

Jack arched a brow.

"I do not see an empty mug before ye, Miss Lacimore."

"And you shan't. I said I would let y'buy me a rum. Never did I say a word 'bout drinkin' it."

This was not good. Jack Sparrow had been outsmarted by a woman. A woman. Irony was not a very nice lady, he decided. He felt a tangible blow to his generously oversized ego. He tried not to show his lack of pleasure and bared his teeth in a fake grin.

"Well, ye definitely have somethin' t'be proud of, luv. Ye have outsmarted a pirate. The Captain Jack Sparrow at that," he congratulated unenthusiastically, reaching for the rum before her. As quick as lightening, the mug was snatched away from his outstretched fingers and Christina poured the fiery liquid down her throat.

Jack watched in awe as the woman gulped down the rum. When the mug was empty, she slammed it back down on the table triumphantly. The tears burning her eyes were not concealed as she coughed and spluttered.

"Is it s'posed t'burn?" she managed to get out through her coughing.

"Aye, luv. Ye'll get used t'it," Jack chuckled.

His eyes widened when she stood swayingly from her seat and started walking away without any explanation. He considered letting her go but then thought the better, realizing that Will and Elizabeth would be less than thrilled about their friend going missing while in his capable care. Funny couple in ways like that.

"Christina, luv, where d'ye think yer goin'?" he slurred after her, staggering from his own seat and heading in the general direction of where he had last seen her turned back.

Pushing through the other intoxicated persons in the Pub, Jack turned his head this way and that, the beads and other trinkets entwined in his dreaded hair rattling with the movement. Where had that minx run off to?

"'Xcuse me, mate. 'Ave ye seen a girl, well, woman, I s'pose, about..." Jack frowned, trying to remember her height and lifted his hand to his neck for the random gentleman's observation, "About ye high? Long hair, blue dress..."

The rest of the description trailed off to nothing as Jack continued on, leaving the man with a confused expression in his wake.

This was not good. Will would have his neck if he didn't retrieve the lass as safe and sound as when he left her. And, more, importantly, all of Jack's hard work in seducing her would go to waste and some git would find her in the street, drunk as a pirate and pull her into some alleyway and...

Yes, he must find Christina.

Turning several tables over on the way, he made his way outside into the cool night.

"Christina!" he called, feeling a little worry slip through his drunken haze.

"Over 'ere..."

Jack spun towards the source, almost tripping over his own feet in the process.

"Stupid, good fer nothin' feet," he muttered irritably as he righted himself and saw Christina, sitting slumped on a short garden wall nearby.

"Over 'ere? Over 'ere! Ye just run off without so much as a farewell and yer 'over 'ere'? Dear William would have an aneurysm if 'e knew I lost ye!... Are ye alright, luv?" Jack asked cautiously as he clumsily sat beside her and regarded her not all there state. She stared at him blankly.

Worry creased Jack's features once again. Will definitely be less than pleased if he handed over the girl in a vegetative state.

"Luv, ye need t'give me some sort of a response, 'ere. Nod if ye can hear me."

Nothing. The poor lass had been unwittingly brainwashed by some cruel psychopath scientist out for a night on the town of victimizing young, helpless green eyed girls in blue dresses. He knew it. The facts were all there.

"'O did this t'ye, Christina? Can ye hear me?" Jack asked frantically, shaking her by the shoulders.

A response. She widened her eyes. Jack released his grip of her and gazed encouragingly at her, waiting for some sort of explanation.

She opened her mouth and then... leaned over him to empty the contents of her stomach on the ground below.

"Not me boots!" Jack yelped, reflexively lifting his feet. As the girl continued to wretch, Jack sympathetically pulled back her tresses from her face and rubbed her back softly, smiling and nodding at the smirking passerby's.

So much for his cruel psychopath scientist theory.

After a few minutes Christina fell silent, the convulsions finally ceasing to rack through her body as she leaned over Jack's lap.

"Ye alright now, luv?"

She finally lifted herself to a sitting position, turning the other way so as not to face him out of embarrassment.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"'Tis nothin' to apologise about. Me boots are safe," he quipped, looking down to be sure.

When she still did not look at him, he stood and moved to sit on the other side of her so that she was facing him. His eyes widened when he saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

"What's this about?" he asked softly, if a little uncomfortably, brushing the tears away with his finger.

"I want to go home."

Jack lifted his brows.

"Now? Listen, that was just 'cause ye 'aven't drunk that much b'fore. Ye'll be fine now."

Christina smirked bitterly.

"But that ain't the reason ye want t'go," Jack realised.

"The Commodore would probably have me sent to the gallows if he knew I was drinking rum with Captain Jack Sparrow on the night before our wedding."

"D'ye think it for the best that ye marryin' a man who you still refer to by his title. The same one who proposed to ye cousin but a year ago?"

Christina's deeply sad glistening eyes lifted to his inquisitive ones and any intentions he may have had before flew out the window, leaving only pity. And, along with the pity, a very devious plan started to form in the depths of his mind.

"What are you two doing by yourselves in the dark?" Elizabeth giggled with playful accusation narrowing her eyes as her and Will returned.

Covering for the teary eyed Christina, Jack tisked in disapproval at the couple who hung freely off of eachother.

"Asn't anyone told the two o ye that public displays of affection went out of fashion with last year's matching glove and collar sets?" he sighed as Christina wiped furiously at her face.

"Thanks for letting us in on the secret. Had any rum yet, Chris?" Elizabeth asked, a smile twitching at her lips.

Christina shrugged a guilty shrug and smiled elusively as Elizabeth linked arms with her and pulled her back into the Pub.

A couple of hours saw the two women passed out as the men sat talking secretively nearby.

"Jack... I don't know..." Will was saying warily, his speech slurring as he fought to keep his head in the same place.

"Ave I e'er given ye a reason not t'trust me, mate?" Jack grinned.

Will gave him a pointed look, blunted considerably by the alcohol in his system. Jack widened his eyes innocently.

"That's not fair! Ye know that that cat comin' at the particular time it chose to I had no control over!" he cried defensively.

Will sighed and shot a glance over at the unconscious Christina. He knew as well as anyone that the wedding was not a good idea. He sighed again.

"Okay, Jack. Promise you've got it under control and... I'll agree to the plan."

Jack gave a crooked grin, the one that always unsettled Will so.

"I've got it under control."

_**Hmm, so what exactly is Jack up to? Depending on how many reviews this gets, ye may just find out a little sooner. Fancy that, aye? Until next time, dear friends, farewell!**_


	3. The Death Of Me

_**I know what yer thinkin'. Ye thinkin there is no way in the seven hells that I, blushingbeauty86, do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. But, I must tell you, there is a way. At least there must be because I do not own one measly character, boat, oops, ship, or even that puddle of water they call the Caribbean. So there is no need to call and make requests for Jack or Will to show up at your party. I can do nothing. Sorry.**_

"I DID _NOT_ DESERVE THAT!" Jack roared in reference to the sound slap he had received from a fuming Elizabeth but a moment ago. His shout attracted the attention of his crew as the Black Pearl cut through the water's clear skin and Port Royal became but a pinprick on the horizon.

"DIDN'T DESERVE IT! You... _RAT_! You _BLOODY PIRATE_! You _MONGREL_! You ..._MANGY, WORTHLESS, FOOL_!"

With each insult, Elizabeth arms rained down in attack on the now cowering Captain. Finally, Will dragged her a safe distance away, trying to hold her as she clawed and kicked.

"This ere is me ship, missy! And if ye continue to insist on not giving me the respect me title demands, I shall have ye locked in the brig!" Jack shouted.

Unfortunately, the last threat gave Elizabeth enough fiery rage to escape her husband's hold and she tore after Jack who ran to the other side of the deck, his arms flung high. The crew watched in tired amusement, stepping cautiously out of the fleeing pirate and mightily angry lass. When he reached the end of the deck, he summed up all of his courage and spun to face the charging bull that was Elizabeth, catching her arms at the wrists when she ran into him.

"Ye agreed to it, remember, Elizabeth?" he smiled nervously as he fought to keep grasp of her.

True, she had in fact been in a drunkenly unconscious state when he had manually lifted her head up and down to signify her nod of approval. He gulped. But, an agreement was an agreement after all, he reminded himself.

"I would never agree to such a thing!" spat Elizabeth, yanking herself free of his grasp and standing a small distance away, breathing heavily.

"Well, ye were not ye charmin' self last night."

It was true. She had been dead to the world. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and pierced him with a scowl that could've made mountains tremble.

"You just wait, Sparrow. You just wait 'till Christina wakes. She hates the ocean. She gets seasick to the worst extents and she's hell to deal with. You've got another thing coming," she warned solemnly, shaking her finger in his face before spinning on her heel and stalking downstairs, giving a guilty looking Will a glare on the way.

Jack heaved a sigh of relief when she finally disappeared. Silly woman. Christina would think he was a god for what he had done for her. And, maybe, just maybe, his efforts from last night would not be _completely _wasted.

His eyes widened when a less than happy looking Will marched his way. Not him too.

"We have to go back, Jack."

Jack shook his head furiously, resulting in the clattered tinkling of beads and coins.

"This is a bad idea, I'll only tell you once! Give it an hour and you'll see a fleet of the King's finest on your tail," Will argued rationally.

"One, we're on the fastest ship in the Caribbean, nay, the entire ocean. Two, this is a brilliant, foolproof idea and I'm offended that ye would think it anything but. Three, chances are, I will be considering blowin' a 'ole in ye head by the hundred and forty-sixth time ye tell me!" Jack retorted.

Will only rolled his eyes and stomped off.

"Blasted fools," Jack muttered under his breath. He lifted his eyes to realize that his crew were still staring like stunned mullets at the exchange.

"GET BACK T'WORK YE SCABLESS DOGS!" Jack barked irritably, resulting in the stumbling, scuttling and startled response of the crew as they obeyed.

Jack turned to gaze back at the sea before him. Yes, Christina would be pleased. Overjoyed, most likely. He was a genius, even if only he could admit it.

Salt. Rum. Spices.

Christina wrinkled her nose sleepily at the unique but not unpleasant mixed scent. She rolled over clumsily, resulting in her head pounding and throbbing as though a herd of disgruntled, wrestling elephants were making a playground out of it.

She cautiously and hesitantly cracked open one eye then scrunched it closed again, her dilated pupils offended by the bright morning sun floating gracefully through the small window on the wall in front of her. She moaned, turning back over, trying to ignore the increase in the elephants' activities in her head this caused.

Laying still for a moment, she summoned up enough bravery to try again and opened the same eye.

A bookcase of old books.

A world map lying on a wooden desk.

A sad excuse for a chest of draws, missing most of the front.

An old globe, slightly off it's axis.

And a selection of paintings that Christina could've sworn to have heard about their going missing.

Instantly, both eyes were open wide and she shot up from the bed she was lying in. Not her room. Not her house. Panic made her tremble when she looked down and saw that she was no longer in her dress but in an oversized white shirt. She prayed silently before looking down the collar. Nothing. Underneath the shirt was absolutely nothing.

Jack jumped at the bloodcurdling scream that echoed around the Pearl's decks. The crew stopped working and Will sent Jack an 'I told you so' look from nearby.

A commotion was heard downstairs and the pirate couldn't help but to cringe when Christina appeared, looking ready to kill, from below decks. She wore one of his coats pulled tightly around her. He tried not to grin, knowing that underneath was just one of his shirts. He had been respectful undressing her of course. Only peeked once.

He soon found himself with no reason to grin when she stalked purposefully towards him, visibly trembling with barely contained rage. He swallowed nervously and bared his teeth in a forcibly pleasant smile. If he truly did have any charm, he would be much obliged if it showed itself now.

"Ello, luv. Nice weather, eh?"

Blast. How charming to mention the weather.

She stopped in front of him. Behind her eyes was an ever growing wave of loathing and Jack really, _really _did not want to be around when it broke.

"Listen, if ye haven't got anything important that needs t'be discussed right at this particular moment in time, then, I think I can hear Gibbs callin' from belo-"

His hurried attempted escape was silenced by a stingingly loud and sharp slap across the cheek that echoed it's impact, so strong that Jack's head now turned the other way, around the Pearl.

Blast.

Taking a moment to recover from the blow, Jack finally turned back to face the seething Christina.

"Take me home," she hissed.

"Can't do that, luv. Ye see, at this point, the navy 'ave already realized your goin' missin' and me goin' back would result in me hanging limp in a noose within an hour of stepping foot on land."

"Do you honestly think I could care less about you dead or alive? Take me home," she repeated with frightening calmness.

Jack frowned.

"I don't think ye understand. Me takin' ye back would mean that ye would have to marry Norrington."

"I _know_! Take me _home_, you fool!"

Fool. That did it. It was not so much the lass' anger that had Jack's blood boiling as much as her ungratefulness. She should be on her knees, professing his brilliance and splendor and instead, the word 'fool' had been her reference to him.

"Ye know what, luv? If ye can apologise fer the words that ye just spoke, I shall let ye jump ship and swim back to Port Royal. Best do it soon," he advised, gazing back at the hardly visible land pointedly.

Christina smirked carelessly before she realised that he was in fact serious. She narrowed her eyes and scowled fiercely.

"If you do not turn this ship around, I shall... I'll..."

"Ye shall what?" Jack prompted, "The offer to let ye swim is still open if ye apologise in the next five seconds. Five..."

Christina crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Four..."

She tapped her foot and yawned.

"Three..."

Sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Two, one. Time's up."

Jack smiled triumphantly. Christina spun on her heel and walked calmly downstairs without another word.

An hour later, Jack ventured after her, quietly opening the door to the Captain's Cabin.

Christina sat on the bed, her back facing him. He smirked.

"Ye know, if ye can find the motivation to get off ye hide an' help out in the kitchen, I'd be much obliged."

No response.

"But, if the kitchen isn't ye style, there's always the lower decks."

Surely even someone not as educated as a sailor in ships would know that the kitchen was the better option.

No response.

Jack frowned and walked to the other side of the bed to face her. She stared emotionlessly at him.

"Preparing for the big apology, are ye? Care fer a rehearsal?" he grinned stirringly.

Nothing. Not a hint of distaste. Not a curl of the lips in a retort.

Exasperation relaxed Jack's features.

"Don't ye think yeself a little old fer the silent treatment, luv?"

This time he was not suprised by the lack of response, just infuriated by it.

"I'll 'ave ye know, I ain't got nothin' better to do than float around aimlessly until ye talk t'me," he threatened, remembering the information he had received about her seasickness from Elizabeth, "I'm told it's forecast to be pretty rough in the next couple of days."

Not a scrap of fear showed itself on Christina's face. But utter frustration masked Jack's.

"As ye wish," he grit, stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind him so that the rest of the doors in the hallway rattled in their frames. The bloody woman had the ignorance to think that she could possibly be more stubborn than himself. Stupid bloody woman.

A week later saw Christina just as silent as ever. The only person she didn't refuse to talk to was Elizabeth.

Jack found this incredibly unfair as Elizabeth had actually agreed to the plan, unconscious or otherwise.

He tried everything to get the lass to talk to him.

The first day he had tried to manipulate a word from her.

"Say nothing if ye consent t'being a self admitted whore," he had demanded.

While vomiting over the side of the ship, she had given him an obscene gesture he hadn't thought a lady capable of.

The second day, he had tried to out silence her. Thoroughly unsuccessful. And not all too silent with her frequent stomach content emptying habits.

Days three, four and five she had spent in the brig with only water and no food. But, being the gentleman he was, he had let her out before she had had the chance to get _really _sick. Plus, Elizabeth's constant screeching in his ear to let the girl out had gotten a tad too much to handle. The brig had been left in a pitiful state, leaving Jack to wonder how a person could vomit so much with little to no food in their belly. Incredible.

The sixth day had been almost successful, he thought. He decided to spend the whole day locked in his cabin with her, talking incessantly. Many subjects had been discussed, if you could call a one sided conversation a discussion. But it had been when his voice was hoarse and the sun was dipping below the horizon that he had hit a nerve. Hit it rather hard.

"So, luv, I know I've learned so much about you already today but, I have another question."

Christina had rolled her eyes, flinging herself back on the bed.

"Your parents."

Jack had smirked inwardly when he saw her body visibly tense.

"I take it ye were a problem child. Being shipped off to live with ye uncle. What'd ye do? Court one two many of ye gardeners?"

Aye, there it was.

She shot up so she was sitting and fixed him with a chilly glare.

He nodded and narrowed his eyes all knowingly.

"Hmm, didn't sit with daddy too well, did it? Probably sent ye to as many reform schools as would take ye. Correct? But ye were too stubborn and unwilling to deal with such a devil child, he was left with no choice but t'send ye to live with dear old Uncle Governor Swann, aye?"

He had definately enjoyed the look of immense hatred he received from her and a grin spread across his face. But it had faded when grief intruded her eyes and she had had to look away.

Yes, the subject of her parents was most certainly a sensitive one. One he had to remember for future references. Any argument could be solved by bringing up a sensitive subject that had nothing to do with the matter at hand. And Jack was sure that if she did ever speak to him again, there would be many arguments.

Today was the seventh day. Well, the evening of the seventh day, to be exact. Jack had decided to leave Christina alone and give her one last chance to come around and talk to him. She hadn't. But, now, as she stood on the edge of the plank, he had not doubt that she was regretting her stupid stubbornness.

"Now, Christina, as I said before, the water is awfully chilly down there," Jack told the quivering beauty on the plank above the excited murmuring of the crew, leaning to have a look down the side of the ship as if to be sure. He looked up and nodded in sad confirmation.

Elizabeth struggled against Gibbs' tight grasp and Will stood beside Jack trying to convince him to back down and to convince Christina to talk. Both ignored his efforts.

"And, as always in these waters, there is the slight chance of sharks. It's about their feeding time, ye see?"

The crew guffawed and Jack grinned at them before turning back to the lass in question.

Not even a slightest hint of apprehension showed itself on her face as her lips turned blue and her hair whipped around her face with the strong sea wind. a sudden gust almost toppled her off and Jack's eyes widened for a fleeting moment. He had no intention of making her jump. This was just last desperate attempt to get her to talk. It was driving him slowly insane. Even to the point that he had begun to doubt his dominate and elusive powers he had over women, God forbid.

Christina shakily righted herself, still managing to look dignified in just a white shirt and a pair of ratty old pants she had scavenged, with her hair disheveled and all makeup washed from her face. She did not have the intense fear that most men showed when made to walk the plank. Jack couldn't help being a little in admiration. A little.

"There really is no need fer this, luv. We both know that yer a stubborn one and yer determined somethin' terrible. All ye got t'do is say one word and ye back safe and warm on the Pearl. You lose, I win," he shrugged with a grin, knowing the phrase would infuriate her.

She scowled at him before promptly turning and diving into the icy waters below.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID woman.

Jack watched intently as she fell and winced at the splash she made on contact with the water. He had never intended for her to actually get into the water. It was getting a little past dusk and the water was too cold for a leisurely swim. Especially in the winter months. Come to think of it, even in summer, the water around this area seemed to be a little cold. Must have something to do with how much contact the sunlight had with the water during the day, he supposed. Or maybe- Good lord, how could he be thinking about the effect sunlight had on the water when Christina still had not reappeared after her dive?

Jack jumped into action and started stripping himself of his affects, leaving his cutlass, revolver, compass, hat and coat in a pile on the ground before leaping up top of the railing and diving in after her.

The water pierced his skin with a thousand frozen daggers as he fought to resurface. His head finally broke the water's skin and he heaved a breath, whirling around, searching for any sign of the blasted wench. When his searching was proved fruitless, he dived back under and swam deeper, figuring she must have been carried with the current behind the ship. He cursed silently when he had to resurface for oxygen, taking a deep breath and quickly going back under, searching frantically for any sign of his white shirt and her long copper hair. Nothing. His lungs were burning by the time he came up again, heaving and about to dive back down again when something caught his eye.

His white shirt.

Her long copper hair.

Christina fluttered her fingers from safe confines of the Pearl at him.

"How on earth...?" Jack muttered through his chattering teeth as he waded on the spot, unable to do more.

She grinned before turning away and disappearing away from the side of the ship.

"That woman will be the death of me," Jack growled as he started to swim back to his ship, feeling rather foolish.

"Ye 'aven't got a hope of sleepin' there."

Jack glared at Christina as she snuggled deeper into the sheets of his bed.

"Get outta me bed, now," he growled. Who would've ever thought he'd say that to a woman? He shook his head at the thought and walked closer to the bed.

Christina rolled away from him, facing the wall.

"Woman, I am warning ye now. Get outta me bed."

The command mixed with the sound of the click of the loading of his revolver. He trained it on the back of her head, savoring the image of his finger squeezing the trigger and her head being blown into a million pieces.

She yawned and rolled back over to look at him questioningly. Seeing the gun pointed between her eyes, she rolled them and swatted it away.

Jack stared incredulously at her. How dare she? Fuelled by rage, he shoved the gun back in it's holster and flung the sheets off of her. She her mouth opened in a wordless scream as he heaved her up over his shoulder and marched towards the door. She was still wet from her dive and the water soaked through his fresh dry clothes, making him groan. She pounded with her fists on his back and kicked him in the side with her flailing feet.

He walked up the stairs and pushed the door to the deck open and dropped her onto the wooden floor. She scowled up at him and he pat her patronizingly on the head.

"Ye be quiet, now, savvy?"

With that, he turned and walked back downstairs, locking the door behind him.

"NO ONE is t'let the wench in! Got it?" he barked at this stunned crew who had been attracted by the girl's screams. They nodded solemnly.

"Keep an eye on dear Will and Elizabeth, be sure that they don't get t'her. She's t'spend the night on the deck," Jack told Gibbs grimly.

"Don't ye think it be a little rough fer the lass, Cap'n? It'll be a cold one tonight" Gibbs said warily, turning his head at the pounding on the door from outside.

"I don't give a flying chicken, Joshamee. The minx is goin' ta get what she's got comin."

_**Uh oh. Jack's 'ad enough, looks like. Christina wasn't very vocal in this one, was she? Snob. But, more importantly, if ye are in fact enjoying this tale, I'm immensely glad fer ye. But let us know, aye? The next installment will be up... when it's up I spose. Cheers!**_


	4. I Hate You

_**So, I was talking to one of the King's finest. Chatting up rather. And he was all like, "A girl as beautiful as you must own at least in part 'Pirates of the Caribbean'." So I was all like, "Nay, kind sir. I assure you, I own nothing of the sort. Not even one character. Not even the Black Pearl." After that he lost interest. I suspect he may have been using me to get to that Jack Sparrow fellow. Shame on im, I say. Bloody fool.**_

Jack tossed in his bed, mumbling some indiscernible cursings as yet more urgent banging on the door sounded. Christina was not just getting on his last nerve. She was repeatedly jumping up and down on it like there was no tomorrow.

More knocking. banging, kicking and ramming.

He turned the other way again, pulling his pillow over his head. What he would give to have the guts to shoot the woman in the head. Over and over again. But he had been cursed with the need to be gentlemanly in all situations and this one especially called for it.

Okay, so maybe it was a little less than gentlemanly of him to leave the lass out in the winter cold in wet clothes. But at least she still had her head intact and not blown into pieces.

Yes, indeed, Jack was a gentleman. He prided himself on it.

He grunted as yet more commotion sounded, but, he was pleased to hear, a little less energetic.

She was tiring. Jack let a triumphant smirk cross his face. Finally, sleep was not far away.

Meanwhile, outside on the deck in the biting cold, Christina laid in a quivering bundle by the door, her slight frame covered only in the wet white shirt and ratty pants she had worn in the water below a couple of hours ago and her ragged breaths a visible vapor in the air.

She was cold.

She couldn't remember ever being as cold as she was at that moment in time. Her head felt like it would drop off if her teeth did not stop chattering soon. She banged unenthusiastically on the door again.

Her forearms were bruised and splintered, her toes swollen and sore and her fists a little bloody and wrecked. All from her efforts to get back inside in the warmth of below decks.

She lifted up her hand to her face. Her knuckles was severely bruised, the skin cracked in some places and stretched taunt from when, after realizing that Jack had no intention what so ever of letting her back in, she had punched the door in rage.

She had never punched anything before. And she never planned on doing it again.

Again, she flung her arm against the door, resulting in a slight thud that she doubted would be heard from inside. She fought against the dreary sleepiness that beckoned her.

She would not call for Jack. She had fought so well. She had succeeded in driving him up the wall for the past week. By doing nothing.

She smiled bitterly through her blue lips. Victory was hers.

A gust of wind danced across the deck, cruelly whipping her hair about her face. She grabbed a strand. There was ice starting to form on the ends.

Victory was not all it was cracked up to be.

But she would _not _call out for Jack.

She _could _not call out for Jack.

"Jaaaaaaack..."

Jack shot up in bed, sleep leaving him instantly.

"Jaaa-...aaack..."

The pitiful wail was interrupted by a sob.

A grin crossed the Captain's face. The lass had been broken. He was good. He was _so _good.

Jack emerged from his cabin, a bounce in his swagger, a smirk pasted on his face. Victory was his.

A sleepy look Mr Gibbs lay sprawled across the hallway, a look of anticipation on his features. He too had heard the call. He looked up at Jack.

"She spoke, Cap'n."

"Aye."

Jack reached into his pocket for the key to the door as he skipped up the stairs, overjoyed and looking forward to seeing her penitent face, the woman on her knees before him, confessing her sins against him.

He turned the key in the lock and opened the door.

He frowned.

Where was Christina?

He stepped out on to the deck, wishing he's brought his coat and feeling a twinge of guilt for leaving her outside for so long in her wet attire. Looking across the span of the deck, Jack saw not a sign of the girl. Had she lost the plot and jumped?

Apprehension at this thought curled at his lips. True, he would be glad to be rid of the woman but not under such unfortunate circumstances.

He whirled back around when he heard the whimper.

His eyes widened when they found the small, huddled form of Christina laying trembling at the door.

Oops.

He hastened to her, lifting her face to see if she was conscious. He winced at her blue lips and all too pale skin, barely differing from the white shirt that covered her. She appeared to be asleep.

"Gibbs, get the stove going," he commanded as he scooped Christina up and carried her back inside, closing the door with his foot behind him. Staring blankly for a moment, Gibbs scuttled into action, reaching for his flask nervously.

Her clothes were still wet. Jack had been hoping they'd dry quicker. Stupidly, it seemed, seeing as she had been outside in below freezing conditions.

Jack took her into his cabin, laying her gently on the bed before rummaging through his draw of clothes for some that would not be too big for her. Although he knew the urgency of the situation, he also knew that when she woke, she would be none too pleased to be in clothes that hung loosely and did nothing to cover her.

Finally, he found an older black shirt and black pants, the smallest he could find. And that, considering her size, didn't say much.

She stirred when he turned back to her and relief brightened his kohl lined eyes although she was still shaking uncontrollably.

"Noo..." she murmured, her eyes still closed, when he started to unbutton the white shirt she had on, flinging her arm upwards in an attempt to stop him.

"Salright, luv. We need t'get ye out of these wet clothes and into these dry ones, see?" he explained patiently, pulling the top half of her body so that she was sitting with his support to hold her up.

She mumbled something as he pulled off the wet shirt and quickly replaced it with the dry one. She tried to kick as he peeled off the trousers she had on and lifted up her legs awkwardly to slip on the dry pants.

He pulled her hair up from around her back and chest, securing it in a hasty braid and tucking it in so that it sat at the nape of her neck.

Christina frowned sleepily as he lifted her up again and carried her to the kitchen where the stove was starting to heat up the room, sitting her on the edge of the counter top.

"Now don't go tellin' the cook I let ye sit there, alright?" Jack told her, holding her limp body upright so she didn't fall.

"Bloody pirate," she muttered accusingly.

"I never thought I'd be pleased t'hear those words, lass," he smiled, starting to rub her arms to get her circulation recirculating.

"Ain't ye 'sposed ta have her feet above er head, Capn?" Gibbs asked worriedly, turning from his tending to the stove.

Jack cocked his head, considering the idea.

"Makes sense, I spose," he shrugged, frowning as to how was the easiest way of going about it.

He finally lifted her up off the counter and laid her carefully on the floor near the stove. He left momentarily and returned with a chair which he placed near her legs before leaning down to lift her feet and support them on the chair. He nodded proudly at his work.

"Or is it ave er head above er feet?"

"Joshamee..." Jack growled at the unsure first mate.

"Maybe ye should just ave her lay level. That way the bloody gets equal access teverywhere."

"Fools," the girl added her input.

Jack frowned at her and then shook his head. She had an excuse to not be thinking straight. She would thank them for saving her life later when she was more up to it. He gently lowered her feet again and pulled the chair away so he could crouch beside her.

"Maybe some soothing music would help, Cap'n," Gibbs mused.

"Now yer just bluffin', mate. Ye ain't got no idea, d'ye? Would've been best ta quit while ye were ahead," Jack beseeched him.

He turned back to Christina, thrilled to see that her lips weren't quite the shade of shocking blue they had been and that some colour had returned to her cheeks. Her arms caught his attention and he lifted one up to inspect the forearm. Several lacerations ran down to her elbow and splinters pierced the skin in numerous places. He raised her hand in front of his face and smirked. All of the knuckles were swollen and bruised.

"Quite a spirit ye got, aye. We'll be needin' some rum and ice, Gibbs" Jack sighed.

"Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs scuttled off and returned with a bottle of rum and a bucket of ice.

"I didn't say anything about bringin' me good rum!" Jack cried, recognizing the bottle instantly and wondering how in the world Gibbs had found it. He had hidden it so well in the back of his bookcase.

"I figured ye'd want t'give the lady the best, Cap'n."

Jack snorted indignantly.

"You best be giving me the best, you bilge rat," Christina spat through her chattering teeth.

Jack eyed the girl sadly as she glared at him.

"If ye don't hate me now, luv, I doubt ye opinion will be the same in five minutes," he told her as he reached for the rum and a cloth.

Christina's shrieks, cursings and insults reverberated around the ship for the next ten minutes as Jack attended to her wounds, cleaning the cuts, removing splinters and applying ice where needed.. Despite her wild struggling as Gibbs desperately tried to hold her down, Jack did a good job and she did feel a tad better though she would not admit it if her life depended on the words.

When she was hot from sitting in front of the stove, she informed Jack so. He automatically tried to lift her up, resulting in yet more cursings and insults as she shoved his hands away before shakily standing to her feet.

She had stopped quivering finally and her jaw didn't tremble anymore she discovered as she stalked down the hall.

"Don't ye have something t'say, luv?"

She whirled around to face Jack, fire in her eyes.

"You're absolutely right, Jack. I forgot to mention that you're a filthy, rotten, disgraceful, ignorant, stuck up fool."

"Aye, but I was thinkin' somethin' more along the lines of an apology an' a thankyou."

Her jaw dropped and she stared incredulously at him.

By now, most of the crew were watching from the door way of their quarters and the rest were on their way.

"What on _earth _could I _possibly _have to apologise for! What have you done that deserves a thankyou from me!" Christina cried angrily.

"Well, the apology would be for your attitude toward me fer the last week and the thankyou would be fer savin' ye life but half an hour ago," Jack explained impatiently. The crew murmured their agreement, looking expectantly at Christina.

"My attitude was due to your _kidnapping _me, you idiot! If anything you owe me an apology and, if you had any sense, you would return me home! And I wouldn't have any need to thank you had you not made me walk the plank and then left me outside in the cold for four hours!"

The crew raised their brows at this. The wench did have a point there.

"I _rescued _you from marrying Norrington, woman! I doubt that favor deserves and apology from me! And if I return ye home, it would only result in ye having t'marry him anyway and me death at the hands of ye husband! And in regards t'makin' ye walk the plank, I did _not _force ye t'jump. And I only left ye outside fer three hours! And ye had it comin!"

A cheer sounded from the crew. Their Captain was definately in the lead.

Christina stared at him, exasperated.

"You are truly insane. You're mad! A nutter! You're an absolute lunatic!" she accused.

Jack could not handle this kind of insult in front of his crew. Hence, his decision to lift her up over his shoulder and carry her kicking and screaming to his cabin where he dropped her. He stuck his head out the door, scowling at the nosey crew.

"Get ye hides back t'bed!"

With very vocal disappointment, the crew hesitantly returned to their quarters.

Jack shut the door and turned to face the seething woman who pushed herself up from the floor angrily. He cupped a hand over her mouth before her open lips could speak and put one behind her neck so that she couldn't pull away.

"Now, as long as you're just standing there listening, listen well, you hear? This, missy, is my ship. I am The Captain and I shall not for one moment allow you to undermine my authority in front of those men out there. I couldn't care less if you curse me a thousand times over while it's just the two of us but not in front of my crew."

Jack stared at her calmly, all hints of his constantly drunken slur diminished as he spoke.

"You call me Captain and you show me proper respect, savvy?"

Resentfully, Christina nodded despite her eyes still filled with loathing and rage.

Finally Jack released her and she back away slowly.

"I'll have you know, the longer you keep me away from home, the worse your punishment will be," she spat.

"Yer making a fuss over nothing, lass. I'm sure ye family will be glad t'be rid of the black sheep fer a while."

Yes, there was the nerve again. Jack was pleased he had remembered. She tensed and scowled furiously at him, snapping her mouth shut and refusing to say more.

Jack rolled his eyes as, without permission, she flopped onto his bed and rolled over so her back was to him.

"No really, luv, you sleep in here and I'll sleep with the crew. It's fine. Wouldn't 'ave it any other way," he assured her sarcastically before turning to leave.

"Jack?"

He turned back. Maybe the woman had come to her senses. He prepared himself for a heartfelt apology and a movingly sincere thankyou for his efforts.

"Yes, luv?"

"I hate you."

Stubborn wench.

" That's nice, darlin'. Sleep well."

_And that would be the end of chapter four. All too soon, aye? Yes, I know, do not fear. I won't keep you waiting too long. How thrilling! I got some reviews. Positive ones, of course. Ye wouldn't expect anything less, right?_

**Karibbean:** _Well, for someone to have given me such a good review, I have to guess that ye takin' the piss! Ha, kidding. I'm very glad to hear that you think that my story does Jack justice as he's a character that definately deserves it! And I'm relieved to know that you think the plot is creative. It's rather difficult coming up with something original and then to make it sound original is harder still so thankye kindly! Ha, ha, ha. Still think Christina is perfect?_

**LombadiaGreenleaf: **_Good to know someone's havin' a laugh at Jack's expense! Hope this update was soon enough. Cheers!_


	5. Dinner at the Brothel

_**I shall tell ye a secret. This one is not of the juicy kind, however. It is sinister and morally wrong. I suppose most of ye already know and those of you who don't definately at least suspect the truth. If ye fit in to neither category, you are truly daft. The big, highly secretive secret is... I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Or the Black Pearl. Or her crew. Or Jack Sparrow. Now keep it to yeselves, ye hear!**_

"Alright, men. We are in Port Venesula! Drink as much rum as ye can handle, bed as many ladies as will allow ye and pick as many pockets as ye can manage. Just make sure ye back and ready on this 'ere deck in three days, aye? Off with ye!"

And, with a hearty cheer, the crew was gone, leaving an ecstatic looking Jack, an apprehensive looking Christina and a worried looking Will and Elizabeth standing on the Pearl.

It had taken them four days to get there. Four long days and it was now half way through the fourth night. When Christina had found out the name of where they were going, she had naturally asked what the place actually was. Elizabeth had described Port Venesula as the classier twin sister of Tortuga. This had left Christina asking as to whether a tortuga was a string or wind instrument. Will had referred to it as 'the painted ladies' city'. Jack had only smirked. This had made Christina a little nervous about the whole thing. And not much had changed throughout the journey there.

"Remind me again why we're in Port Venesula when we all know that it's the first place Norrington would look?" Will sighed.

"Aye, Norrington knows that this would be me first choice to be sure. But, he also knows that I know that he knows that it's me first choice. Therefore, he thinks he knows that because I know that he knows that it's me first choice that I shall go somewhere else. So, I know because he thinks he knows that because I know that he knows, he will be searchin' fer us elsewhere. Savvy?"

All three shook their heads.

Jack sighed, flinging his arm up to elaborate.

"The closer t'danger, the further from harm. Got it?"

Slowly, they all nodded.

"Aye," Jack nodded back.

"Jack, I hate to say it... but don't do anything stupid," Elizabeth warned pleadingly.

Jack snorted indignantly. The suggestion of him being able to do something stupid was a ridiculous one.

The snort did nothing to quell Elizabeth's fears and worry still creased her features as Will guided her off the Pearl.

"Ye hungry, luv?" Jack asked, excitement in his eyes that unsettled Christina.

"... I guess so...," she answered cautiously.

Within fifteen minutes, they were seated in a bar that Christina had not caught the name of. Gazing around at the other people inside, she figured she would neither need or want to remember it for future references anyway. Even the bartender, a big burly brute of a man, made her nervous.

"Jack, are you sure we can't eat somewhere else?" she whispered across the table, her eyes pleading with him.

"No need t'be scared, luv. All old friends of mine... or old not so threatening enemies," he added admittedly.

Just before Christina could open her mouth again, a loud screech was heard.

"Jack!"

Jack turned slowly and unaffectedly in his chair towards the source. His eyes lit up.

"Anna!"

Christina watched in awe as Jack jumped up from his seat and pulled the curly blonde haired girl with the short red dress and purposefully unsubtle make up on into a tight embrace.

"Where tha blazes did ye run off to fer so long?" Anna asked accusingly through a flirty smile. Christina guessed she was a couple of years older than herself.

"Ah, ye know how it goes. Treasure. Fightin'. Rum," Jack grinned as Anna pulled him towards the bar.

Christina could only stare in shock, her jaw hanging unashamedly agape. He had left her. Alone in a bar of preying sleazy men like himself. The insensitive git!

"'O's the bird, Jack?"

Jack lifted his brows at the question.

"What bird?"

"The bird wearin' yer clothes."

Without turning around to follow her gaze, he realised she was talking about Christina. He should've realised straight away but the word 'bird' in reference to her, considering her obvious ladylike tendencies had put him off. Though, now he thought about it now, anyone looking at her now would not have thought her to be of the upper class. She wore his black shirt and pants still and her hair, usually immaculately styled to perfection, hung loose in an unintentionally messy bun. Not a scrap of makeup graced her ivory pale skin and, of course, she had walked in with him.

"Just some damsel in distress I took time t'rescue from some evil villain."

Anna snorted.

"If she's just some damsel then why's she wearin' ye clothes?" she asked pointedly as she poured him a mug of rum.

Jack frowned.

"An' why would the fact that she's wearin' my clothes mean anything t'ye?"

"Please, Jack. Ye know as well as I do it's one of the many ways ye lay yer claim on a woman."

"That's not true."

"It's as true as true gets. I know. I used t'be the woman wearin' ye clothes."

"I best be gettin' back to the lass before she gets too nervous. Thanks fer the rum."

Jack had dodged the subject because he had realised she was right. As he walked away from her, he tried to figure out why he had in fact put Christina in his clothes. He couldn't stand the woman. She drove him insane. He couldn't help but to smirk at her glare as he approached.

"I can't believe you just left me!" she hissed.

"I was just catching up with old aquantainces. Did ye want a rum?"

"That woman did _not_ look like an acquaintance."

"That's because yer lookin' at it from a jealous female's point of view."

"I'm not jealous!" Christina spat, making Jack chuckle.

"Did ye want a rum or not?"

"No."

"Fine," Jack nodded sitting back down at the table, "What would ye have t'eat, me lady?"

"Where's the menu?"

"They're reprinting them at this moment in time. Should be rather exciting to see the new ones. Tell me what ye'd like and I'll tell ye if they have it."

"Did you used to work here or something?"

Jack laughed long and loudly at this. With tears in his eyes, he shook his head.

"Nay, not really my style."

Christina frowned. She was about to question the topic further when she was interrupted.

"Jack!"

Jack again turned slowly in his chair and recognition brightened his face when he saw the sultry looking brunette with the scantily sad excuse for a dress and make up just as loud as Anna's.

"Teresa!"

This happened numerous times more during the night. Victoria. Nicole. Penelope. Jennifer. Sandra. Maria. All women.

When it was a few hours from first light, Christina was sitting slumped at the bar. She had eaten the chef's less tasteful version of chicken roast. She had attempted to drink a mug of rum but couldn't manage. She had made a rather intriguing structure out of glasses. But now she just leaned lethargically on the countertop as Jack chatted merrily with two women who's names she hadn't had the pleasure of catching.

Anna had been observing the depressed looking bird at the bar for the last half hour. For a girl lucky enough to be wearing Jack's clothes, she sure did not look blissfully inclined. She finally decided to talk to her and sashayed over.

"'Ello, lass. Yer Jack's girl, right?"

Christina wrinkled her nose.

"No. I'm his abductee. Christina."

Anna laughed, assuming it was a joke.

"Right, lucky you. So why'd ye get 'im ta bring ye here?"

"I didn't. I've never been here before. He just took me here to eat."

Anna's eyes widened. Christina's narrowed.

"What?" she asked warily.

"Ye mean he just took ye here fer dinner. Like a date?"

"No! God no! It was just to eat."

"Even worse," Anna sighed.

"Why is it so shocking that he took me here?"

Anna eyed the girl sympathetically. She really had no idea where she was. Jack truly was a bastard.

"Listen, lass. This is the sort of place where lonely men usually come in alone and then emerge with a pretty lady on arm, short a few dollars. D'ye get me drift?"

Christina was about to shake her head and then stopped. The bloody pirate had taken her to dinner. At a...

"You took me to dinner at a brothel!" Christina shrieked as she rained blows down on Jack's head and shoulders.

"What in the blazes!" Jack yelped, leaping up to restrain her. The women left.

"I cannot be_lieve_ you!"

"What! What are ye on about, luv?"

"I'm on about you taking me to dinner at a brothel, you fool! You vile, perverted git!"

Anna chuckled at the scene. Her chuckle died in her throat when Jack sent her a deathly glare.

"You told 'er!" he accused.

"Wait, so it was a big secret! A sick joke?" Christina shouted at him.

"No! It wasn't that big of a deal! Could even be seen as a cultural experience," Jack replied defensively, turning back to glare again at Anna, " I can't believe ye told 'er!"

"She had a right t'know, Jack. I wasn't about ta lie and save yer sorry hide," Anna smirked.

"Thanks fer yer support, Anna. Always a pleasure," Jack spat.

"Ah, keep it up, Jack, an' I shall 'ave ta remind ye of yer bill. All tha money ye owe me," the girl warned. This silenced Jack.

It was now that he noticed that Christina had left.

"Blast," he muttered, stalking out the door. Women were not worth all this trouble surely.

"Christina," he called unenthusiastically after the hurried woman as she marched down the road.

She sped up. The wench was going to make him run.

Sighing, he fastened his pace to a jog. He figured he owed it Will and Elizabeth to not let her run off and get raped and brutally murdered by some sick lunatic roaming the streets.

When he caught up with her, he ran around in front and faced her, matching her hurried pace but walking backwards.

"I'm going back to the Pearl," she informed him sharply before he had a chance to speak.

"Well, if that be the case, may I suggest ye turn yeself around as at this moment in time ye are in fact heading away form yer chosen destination," Jack told her sympathetically.

Christina, too stubborn to let him be right, kept on walking the way she was going.

"I didn't think ye'd mind so much, luv."

"Yes you did. That's why you didn't tell me."

She was right. She was good, Jack had to admit.

"Alright, so maybe I thought it would be best not t'tell ye."

"What would've been best would be to take me somewhere else," she spat.

"Well, I'm afraid that in Port Venesula, there's not much choice. It's either bars that do prostitution on the side or brothels. There's not the restaurants an upper class prep like yerself are used to."

"My class status has nothing to do with it! You were in the wrong and you know it!"

"Aye, I know it but I still don't underst-"

Jack unwittingly backed into the tree that Christina had purposefully been steering him towards and his sentence was interrupted by the loud thump of his head making sharp contact with it's trunk. Christina kept walking.

"You, Miss Lacimore, are a cold, cold woman!" Jack shouted as he started after her, gingerly feeling the lump that was starting to form on the back of his scalp.

An unwelcome laugh escaped Christina.

"Ah, and she laughs at me. I have a serious head injury and she laughs. Well, pleasure to be entertainment t'ye," Jack told her bitterly.

Rolling her eyes, Christina turned back to face him. His running into the tree had cooled down her anger a little and she smiled smugly.

"Let me have a look at that serious head injury."

Jack was about to protest but she jerked his head down so that he was slouched and looking at her feet as her fingers searched for the lump.

"Ouch!" Jack yelped when she found it.

"Pipe down, you wuss."

"I do not appreciate tha- Be gentle, would ye!"

Christina tried to smother a giggle with her forearm as she felt the lump. It was big and growing rapidly. She took her hand away.

"It's nothing. Hardly even a lump there," she lied.

Jack pulled her hand to it again.

"It's enormous. Tell me it isn't enormous," he demanded.

"It just needs some ice."

"It needs an apology."

"I refuse to apologise for that sad excuse for an injury unless you apologise for taking me to that brothel."

"Fine. I am terribly sorry fer takin' ye to the brothel. It was incredibly wrong of me and I should've shown ye more respect than that. I pray you will forgive me."

"Promise it won't ever happen again."

"I promise ye that fer the rest of me days, I shall never take ye into that brothel again," Jack promised with a sly smile.

Christina arched a brow.

"Or any other one."

Jack's face fell.

"Or any other one," he repeated grudgingly, flicking the air.

"Good."

"And my apology?"

"Sorry about the lump," Christina apologized before turning back towards the Pearl.

Jack stared after her incredulously before following after her.

"That's it? That's all I get?"

"Yes, be thankful. I don't consider it worthy of an apology anyway."

"You, my dear lady, are a piece of work, I'll give you that," Jack shook his head as they walked.

Their arguing, mixed with laughter was heard the whole way back to the Pearl, made a lot longer due to Christina heading the wrong way.

Surely the two weren't finally getting along?

_Well, I have t'tell ye. If they are gettin' along, I wouldn't count on it lastin' fer too long. Not a chance._

_**Jennifer123: **I do not 'ave a clue why there's only three reviews. Four including yours. Thankye kindly. He he he, yes, Christina's got quite the temper, aye? I hope neither of 'em caved in in this part. I don't think they did anyway. But, ye'll have to excuse me lack of knowledge, being new to the site 'n' all. How am I on this anonymous (there's the spellin' fer ye... hope it's right) thing and how do I get off it? Ha, hopeless._

_**Karibbean: **Thankye kindly. Hope you like this one too. And I agree about Jack's reaction. That's the best part to write! He's such a fool. In a good way, if that's possible..._


	6. What Happens In Port Venesula

**_I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. It's okay, don't cry. I know it's hard t'handle when first ye find out such a sad sad fact. But I promise ye, after the third day, ideas start to form in yer head. None of 'em logical, those don't come 'till at least the fifth or even sixth day fer the slower of us. Then, they become plans. Aye, I may not own Pirates of the Caribbean now_**, **_but give it three hours, six minutes and forty-two seconds and I shall be tellin' ye different!_**

"I need clothes."

"Ye've got clothes."

"No, I haven't. I've got your clothes."

"What's the matter with me clothes?"

"Nothing. I just can't live in your clothes forever."

Jack regarded Christina, a smile twitching at his lips as he sat with his feet on his desk.

"What's the matter with living forever in me clothes?"

"Jack!"

"Alright! We'll get ye some clothes."

And that was how it happened. That was how Jack was tricked into letting Christina drag him around Port Venesula's shopping district.

At first, he had tried to convince her that Anna and the other girls would have dresses she could borrow. Such had been a futile attempt for obvious reasons that remained elusive to him. Finally, he had given in.

Now, he was in a boutique.

A boutique of all God forsaken places.

"What do you think of this one?" Christina asked, holding up a long sleeved rose pink dress to herself for his observation.

Jack grunted in response, too busy spying out the boutique's front window to be sure no one could see him inside. It was something like this that could ruin his reputation as one of the most fiercesome pirates the world has ever seen forever. He would become that pirate who was once famous and feared and now had a fetish for women's clothing. Gossiping was a terrible thing.

Christina imitated his grunt. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sighing, Jack turned to study her properly.

"The colour does nothing for yer skin tone. The blue ribbon clashes too much with the white lace on the bodice. I highly doubt ye'd be able ta fit into that corset and, unless yer planning on growing a few inches taller tonight, you're too short for the skirt. The fabric doesn't look like it would breathe, ye'd probably faint if it got too hot. And, I'd say it'd be a tad too ambitious of you to try and fill out that neckline with yer bust size."

Christina's face fell. She put the dress back.

"There had to be a more diplomatic way of going about that," she informed him bitterly.

"Well, ye did ask, luv. Just thought I should tell ye the truth."

"Thanks for that," Christina replied dryly.

She sighed and reached for another dress, this time, a tight fitting, sleeveless turquoise number.

"What about this one?"

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Again, the colour would make yer skin look pasty. It's sleeveless, ye haven't got the arms fer that. And ye'd need a longer neck to make the best of the high neckline. The-"

"Jack!"

"What?"

"How is it that you can be so offensive over a simple dress?"

"How is it that ye can ask a question and then beseech me fer answerin' it honestly?"

"Because you're not really supposed to have an opinion on these things! A simple 'Yes, that looks lovely' or 'The colour brings out your eyes' would do fine!"

"So now I'm 'sposed to apologise fer havin' an opinion, is that it!"

"I can't shop with you," Christina sniffed.

"Thank God fer that. I'll be right back!" Jack spat.

Christina stared after him as he left, not sure if he was coming back or not. The menacing looking woman at the counter glowered as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the store, at a loss as to what to do.

"Are ye buyin' or not?" the woman snapped.

Christina smiled nervously.

"Buying... I hope."

"Well, hopin' don't do anythin' does it? Buyin' or not?"

"Buying," Christina replied as confidently as she could and the woman nodded in approval.

Jack returned five minutes later, pushing a puzzled looking Anna by the shoulders in front of him.

"There ye go. Shopping partners fer life," he informed them.

Anna's eyes lit up at the word 'shopping'.

"Here's some money. Buy what ye will. I'll be at the bar 'cross the road," Jack told Christina sharply, dropping a heavy pouch into her hand. Upon opening it and looking inside, Christina's eyes widened.

"Jack this is too much!" she told his turned back as he left the store for the second time.

He only flicked his hand over his shoulder in response as Anna put a hand over Christina's mouth, grinning wickedly.

"Let's go shopping, shall we?"

And they did.

Christina felt like a china doll Anna was having fun dressing up for the next two hours, trying on things she wouldn't dream of wearing even in the privacy of her own home.

"I like that one," Anna informed her as she emerged wearing a shamefully short and low cut green dress with puffy sleeves.

Christina bit her lip, debating as to how was the best way of telling the prostitute that she disagreed without insulting her.

"It's not really my style..."

"But it suits ye perfectly!"

Christina tried to not look to resentful at the words.

"Hmmm, maybe after I've lost a few pounds."

"Ah, I get it. Ye're one of the girls who always think they're overweight no matter how tiny they are," Anna shook her head in disgrace, her blonde curls bobbing with the movement.

"Yes, one of those," Christina agreed abruptly, pleased with the easy escape as she ducked back into the dressing room.

Eventually, they exited the store with nine dresses, most of which they had agreed on.

They strolled into the bar where Jack had been drinking and waiting. Drinking being the more notable activity of course, Christina could tell by his even more drunkenly stance as he stood talking with another man.

"Here's your change," she told him, handing over the considerably lighter and smaller pouch.

"Oh, so ye've left me something fer food, eh?" he asked sarcastically, jingling the pouch by his ear and showing his disappointment at the result.

"Tell 'er she's not fat, Jack," Anna demanded.

"Why would she need me t'tell 'er that?" Jack frowned.

"'Cause she has it in her mind that she is, ye fool."

Jack turned his frown on Christina.

"Although I am not responsible fer any insecurities that ye may 'ave, I will tell ye that ye are not on the large end of the scale as far as bodies go."

"...Thanks, Jack," Christina accepted.

Christina turned to regard the man he was talking to and fell silent at the same moment. Brown eyes gazed at her behind wisps of ash blonde hair. He was a pirate, the fact made obvious by the cutlass and revolver hanging from his belt. But, like Jack, as far as pirates go, he was clean cut and... well, clean in his white shirt and black trousers. Christina guessed him to be a few years younger than Jack and a few years older then herself.

"Jaxon!"

Her studying was interrupted by Anna's shriek of recognition.

"Anna!" Jaxon grinned in reply as she leapt into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"This is Jaxon. An ol' friend of mine," Jack introduced slurringly, "And this is Christina, the royal pain in me arse."

Christina glared at him as Jaxon laughed.

"Pleased to meet you, Christina," he smiled, offering a hand that she shook, instantly all smiles again.

"The same to you," she returned sweetly.

Jack lowered his brows. She hadn't been so pleasantly responsive when they had met.

"So, how is it that Jack is keeping company with a beauty such as yourself?" Jaxon asked stirringly.

Christina wrinkled her nose at Jack.

"Abduction. Could there be any other plausible explanation?"

Jaxon, Anna and Christina laughed as Jack rolled his eyes.

"I'll 'ave ye know that there are women dyin' t'be in the position ye are now, luv," he told Christina.

Christina ignored him. In his drunken state, Jack was incredibly vulnerable to the strange and rarely sensed feeling of jealousy that beckoned him as he watched Jaxon and Christina chat. He brushed it away. Maybe this would mean the minx would be taken off his hands.

Five hours later, the bar was in full swing. In Port Venesula, that meant that there were at least five separate physical fights in progress, fifty or so couples joined incessantly at the lips and more rum at one table then the entire population of occupants could drink without passing out.

Somewhere in the haze of drunkards, Christina and Jaxon sat at a table, leaning close as to hear what the other was saying above the ruckus. In perfect view of Jack as he sat at the bar, chatting to the bartender.

"He took you to a brothel for dinner?" Jaxon chuckled as Christina nodded.

"He even had the gall to refer to it as a 'cultural experience'," she told him, laughing at it now although it had infuriated her the night before.

"Only Jack could come up with that and expect it to save his hide," Jaxon smirked and Christina nodded in agreement.

Jaxon narrowed his eyes at her thoughtfully.

"So, you were the lass who was going to marry the Commodore, aye?"

"Was being the key word. If Jack had just let me be, I'd be married right now."

"You sound resentful at him for it. Surely you'd be thankful?"

Christina tossed a look over her shoulder at the pirate in question, rolling her eyes when he quickly turned away from her and back to the bar.

"I suppose so," she shrugged.

Jaxon frowned.

"Have you actually thanked him?"

"...No."

"Oh..."

"Would you like to go somewhere?" Christina asked abruptly.

Jaxon's eyes widened.

"I don't think that's the best idea."

"Oh good."

"What?"

"I was making sure, since you are a pirate, that you weren't going to get me drunk and then take me someplace. Just being sure, that's all," Christina told him, a smile twitching at her lips.

"I assure you I wouldn't do such a thing," he chuckled.

Jack hoped insanely that Christina did not think that he had been staring at her like some fool. He had only been glancing. For the thirtieth time maybe, but it was still just glancing.

"Hi, Jack."

Jack turned his head to see yet another old friend.

"Well, if it ain't Miss Jessica Field. How are ye, luv?" he asked the short redhead as she sat down in the stool beside him.

"Fine. I was waiting for you to come back," she purred, leaning towards him to kiss his cheek softly.

Jack smiled crookedly and took another sip of his rum.

"Changed yer profession, lass?" he asked, nodding at her short dress and her hand on his thigh. When he'd left, she had been a seamstress. A young one at that. He had been gone longer than he had thought.

She smiled.

"The money was no good. Besides, I enjoy this a lot more," she told him seductively.

"Is that so, luv?" he chuckled as her hand skipped further up his leg.

Anna watched Jack and Jessica and Christina and Jaxon from behind the bar. This was not good. She started towards Jack and Jessica then stopped and doubled back, heading towards Christina and Jaxon. Then stopped. There was nothing she could do.

"Do you want another drink?" Jaxon asked Christina as she finished off her glass.

"No. I think I've 'ad enough," she hiccuped.

Jaxon chuckled.

Christina turned back to the bar and sighed. Jack was a fool. Did he really want to broadcast to the world that he was keeping company with the whore that hung freely off him? It was like he thought he had become victorious in getting her to be willing to sleep with him. Like the only way she would even consider sleeping with someone else was if they paid her.

She was a whore, for God's sake.

"Something bothering you?"

Christina spun around to face Jaxon again, almost toppling her chair over in the process.

"What would make ye think somethin' like that?" she asked accusingly.

"You keep staring at Jack and the girl, that' all," Jaxon shrugged, finding her envy amusing.

"I do not," she argued.

"Okay," Jaxon agreed with her.

With that cleared up, Christina turned back around to stare at Jack and the girl.

"I thought you said you weren't staring."

She sighed, shoulders slumping as she turned back around.

"Alright, alright. No staring."

"You wouldn't want to appear as desperate, would you?"

Christina started to shake her head and then caught herself.

"What would I 'ave t'be desperate about?"

Jaxon shrugged, feigning cluelessness.

Christina narrowed her eyes.

"Did y'still not want to go somewhere?"

"Jack, did you want to go somewhere?"

Jack shook himself awake. He turned to see Jessica was gazing at him with suggestive expectance.

"Sorry, luv?"

"Did you want to go somewhere?"

It was the next action he made that Jack could not explain. To be sure, to say he had turned to look at Christina numerous times already that evening would be an understatement. But it was the fact that he chose that particular moment in time to do it again. Like his answer and decision was pending on her. Her green eyes sparkled as she brushed strands of her hair out of her face and leaned forward.

But her eyes were not sparkling at him. They were sparkling at Jaxon. She did not think enough of all he had done for her to care nor even realize that he was about to walk out of the place with a prostitute.

"Jack?"

Jack turned back to Jessica, a forced smile on his face.

"Where did ye have in mind?"

Anna watched sullenly as Jack left with Jessica and a few moments later, Christina left with Jaxon.

This was not good.

_And there's chapter six... Sorry about the way it turned out, with Christina and Jack leaving with different people and all. Please review, aye?_

**Ailuro: **_Ha, ye liked the cultural experience bit too, aye? It was a bit of an after thought. I'm glad someone noticed it. And yes, the aneurysm bit. I debated putting that in when I was writing it. But then I thought, if only a handful of people knew about aneurysms back then, Jack would be one of 'em. And Jack's vocab isn't really that of a normal person so I thought he could pull it off. Obviously not, sorry! And I'm hoping that this part didn't get too soppy. I tried. To make sure it wasn't soppy, I mean. Thanks for the reviews anyway, aye. It's good to get some constructive criticism!_

**jennifer123: **_Yes, the pirate thing is very contagious. I always find meself sayin' 'aye' and 'mate'. Nah, it's fine about the anonymous thing. I'll work it out. Glad ye think the story is getting better as it goes. Always good t'know! Oh, by the way, congratulations on bein' one of Jack's whores!_

**Karibbean: **_Hope ye liked this one too! I'm going to try my best to keep the standards up. The last part took me three attempted starts to get going and this one took me four. It's hard work! Thankyou!_


	7. Stays In Port Venesula

_**A little geography lesson fer ye. The Caribbean Sea lies below Cuba and Jamaica and above Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela and is considered part of North America. Now, I only realised it was an actual place when I saw the movie and I think it's a little sad that I, doing a tourism course at TAFE (Australia's cheap version of university), just found out where it actually was today. So I figured everyone else should know too. There, I have peace of mind and we all learnt something new today... I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. That was the main point of all that.**_

"Her name was Hope. An' I knew straight away that if Hope was truly our only hope then it would be a sad, sad day."

Christina blinked at the strange scene before her as she opened the Captain's Cabin door into the hall.

Jack glanced up at her from where he sat on an overturned crate. Sitting crossed legged on the floor around him was half a dozen or so children, ranging between the ages three and twelve and listening eagerly to what the pirate had to say.

As Christina rubbed her eyes to be sure they weren't deceiving her, Jack continued his apparently enthralling story.

"So, me and the crew took Hope to Isle de Timura with the King's finest riding on our coat tails. There, we were met by a magical mist that caused our pursuers to lose sight of the Pearl." -Jack's eyes narrowed and he made floaty movements in the air with his hands, grinning at the toddling girl at his feet- "We cleverly evaded the Navy and made our way to the middle of the island where the Mora Mora people and their Chief were waiting fer us. Realizing the enormity of the situation, they prepared fer the ceremony as quickly as they could. By now, Hope had given up fighting and chose to accept her place as Chiefess, to rule the Mora Mora people beside her true love."

One of the young boys made a face and rolled his eyes and Jack, noticing this, shook his head and tisked, "One very important lesson ye'll learn whether ye like it or not, lad, is that true love is the only thing worth livin' for... Besides treasure, rum an' freedom but that's another lesson on it's own. So, where were we? Ah, yes. The ceremony. The Chief, his name was Awguilla if my memory serves me well, was just about to hand over the Enchanted Sword and the Orb of Truth t'Hope when the Navy showed 'emselves again, having been searching fer us fer hours. Without chance fer anyone to speak, Awguilla received a bullet t'his heart and fell t'the ground."

A squeak of shock was heard from one of the girls and Jack nodded sadly, marking the cross over himself.

Christina rolled her eyes. The cross was a little rich.

"God rest his soul, he died a few moments later as Hope desperately tried to revive him. After discovering that her soulmate had passed, Hope lost all hope. She picked up a rifle and whispered a short prayer declaring her love fer Awguilla before ending her own life," Jack made the cross over himself again.

"But, what happened to you and your crew?" a girl standing near Christina asked eagerly. Christina stared incredulously at her. Surely these children weren't buying this?

Jack narrowed his eyes all knowingly,enjoying the unusual situation he was in of people actually accepting everything he said as truth.

"It was hard work but, eventually, there were none left standing, save fer the me crew and the Navy Captain. 'Im, we sent back t'London in shame t'tell the dear Governor of Captain Jack Sparrow's victory over them. An' it was then that the Mora Mora people named me their Chief."

An awed silence rung, followed by mingled, excited murmuring. Jack grinned at the effect of his story on the children as he leaned back against the wall.

This was all too much to handle so early in the morning. Christina backed back into the cabin and closed the door behind her. Sighing and closing her eyes, she hesitantly turned around to face the bed.

Cracking one eye open, she saw Jaxon lying there, looking at her questioningly. She scrunched it shut again. He had been sound asleep when she had left.

Her plan was not going smoothly at all. She _had _been planning on Jack being asleep so that she could sneak Jaxon out before the Pearl left Port Venesula without Jack knowing. Ignorance was bliss and, in her case, a whole lot less dangerous.

"Time for Plan B," she mused unconsciously.

"Plan B?" Jaxon asked, chuckling.

Christina's eyes opened wide. Yes, she had said that out loud.

"...Good morning," she offered weakly.

"Morning?" Jaxon frowned.

Christina nodded.

Jaxon's eyes widened now.

"... Is Jack awake?"

Christina nodded.

"... Out there?" he pointed in the direction of the hall.

Christina nodded.

"Christ," Jaxon cursed as he pulled the sheet around his waist and went in search of his clothes.

"Amen," Christina agreed, retrieving his boots from under the bed.

The frantic search for Jaxon's attire continued until, suddenly, he stopped. Christina kept looking hurriedly under the desk until she realised that Jaxon was just standing in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing!" she hissed.

"Why are we so worried about Jack finding out about last night? It's not like you cheated on him with me or anything. He didn't have any claim to you and there's nothing to feel guilty for," Jaxon said in a normal volume that made Christina jump up and place a hand over his mouth as she shot a fearful glance at the door.

"That's not the point!" she whispered urgently, "He's funny about it as it is with me sleeping in his bed in the literal sense of the word. Let alone with you!"

A knock sounded at the door.

The cornered couple's heads whirled to face the noise.

"Yes?" Christina squeaked.

"Did ye want breakfast, luv...?" Jack was inquiring as he turned the handle and started to open the door.

"Don't come in!" Christina cried as she flung herself across the room and against the door so it shut in Jack's face.

A stunned silence was heard from outside.

"I...I'm not... decent," Christina stumbled in explanation.

Jaxon watched helplessly with worry etching his features despite his earlier words.

"Now, what would make ye think I would mind something like that?" Jack replied suggestively as he attempted to open the door again.

"_I mind!_" Christina shouted, shoving the door closed again.

Jack laughed.

"I was only teasin' ye, luv. Just come up when yer ready, aye?"

His booted footsteps and the pattering of smaller barefooted ones were heard echoing down the hall and Christina finally relaxed when she heard the door at the end of the hall close.

She eyed Jaxon purposefully.

"Get dressed."

Meanwhile, Jack cursed under his breath as he left the children in the dining room with all the food their little stomachs could handle to keep them distracted and headed for the guest cabin.

Jessica stood impatiently at the door, tapping her high heeled shoe on the polished boards as he cautiously entered.

"Can I go now?"

"I'm payin' ye by the bloody hour anyway so what does it matter?" Jack reminded her frustratedly.

This silenced the girl.

"We 'ave t'wait 'till Christina gets 'erself to the dining room so I can get ye off the Pearl without her knowing," Jack explained secretively.

"Anyone would think that you're ashamed of sleeping with a whore, Jack," Jessica spat sarcastically.

"Ashamed? No, lass. But I ain't got a death wish either," Jack replied.

Jessica narrowed her eyes.

"Why would she be angry at you? It's not like you cheated on her or anything."

"She's just the angry type, ye know how they are," Jack brushed the question off for lack of reasonable answer.

"I'll be right back," he told her, heading back out the door.

"Jack..." Jessica growled as he closed the door.

"By the hour," Jack reminded her again before the door shut.

As he swayed hastily down the hall, below his feet on the lower deck was Christina, dragging Jaxon behind her.

"Is it really necessary to be moving so quickly?" Jaxon asked, feeling the after effects of too much alcohol the night before.

"Yes," Christina replied briskly, trying to ignore the after effects herself.

It seemed like decades before they reached the deck both squinting against the bright morning sun the pounded down like an interrogation lamp on the guilty two.

They reached the gangplank and paused, paying homage to the token awkward heavy silence of one night stands.

"Last night..." Jaxon stated.

"Mmm..." Christina agreed.

Jaxon would've said something else highly intelligent here had he been given the chance. But it was at this moment that Jack made his way onto the deck. It was also at this moment that Christina was prompted to give Jaxon an unexplained quiet apology, very shortly after explained by a sharp push in his chest that caused him to plummet into the water below with a splash.

Poor Jaxon.

"What was that?" Jack asked as he approached.

"...Seasickness..." Christina answered, praying silently that Jaxon would forgive her.

Jack lowered his brows, "We're not moving."

"But we will be. Today. The thought just triggers something in me," Christina tapped her head and then pretended to feel another spell of illness.

Jack's lip curled in distaste before he could stop it and compose himself.

"Well... come down when yer ready, luv."

Christina nodded meekly, leaning over the side of the ship again to feign being sick although there was a relieved smile on her face when she saw Jaxon swimming safely away.

Jack hovered for a moment, wanting desperately for the bloody woman to get herself to the dining room already.

"The cook made a special breakfast this morning," he lied.

Christina turned to face him.

"Wouldn't the children have eaten it already anyway?" she frowned and then frowned all the more, remembering how suss it was that there were children on board in the first place. Just the sentence itself coming from her mouth to Jack's ears sounded uncomfortably domestic.

"Speaking of children, what are they doing on the Pearl?" she asked.

"Come t'see Uncle Jack," Jack grinned.

Christina stared at him blankly.

"They're the little ones of some of the girls at the bars around 'ere. They find the Pearl irresistible fer some reason," Jack shrugged, flicking the air.

"Oh. How charming," Christina commented.

"Breakfast?" Jack offered for the third time that morning.

"Alright, alright. Breakfast," Christina sighed, walking past him and downstairs to the dining room.

Following and seeing that she was safely inside the dining room, Jack made a sharp turn and headed for the guest cabin.

"Coast is clear," he told Jessica who's face lit up as she pushed past him out into the hall.

"Try and show some enthusiasm, luv," Jack told her sarcastically as he followed cautiously after the hasty redhead.

Jessica ignored him and kept racing towards the deck.

Once at the gangplank, she turned on her heel, causing Jack to run into her and put out her hand expectantly.

Jack rolled his eyes and pulled out his pouch.

"Fer ye troubles," he told her dryly, dropping the whole thing into her palm.

Trying not to show her joy at the amount of money within the pouch, Jessica pecked him on the cheek before hurrying away back to town.

Sighing, Jack returned to the dining room.

"So the cook put the mud cake into the stove, not realizing that Violet and I had snuck olives and salmon patte into the mix while he wasn't looking."

Jack blinked at the scene of Christina animatedly telling a story while the children laughed and listened eagerly, wanting to know what was to become of the mud olive salmon cake disaster.

Christina barely noticed that Jack had entered the room but the little toddling girl raced up to him joyously.

"'Allo, luv. What's all this ab-" he started before the girl interrupted.

"Shhh. Story," she scolded, pointing at Christina as she continued.

Jack frowned, displeased at having lost the attention that was being paid to him half an hour prior.

"Half of the government cabinet were at the grand ball that night. They danced and talked but Violet and I could not wait for the banquet to start! We watched from the doors leading to the kitchen and watched as the tomato soup made with over ripe tomatoes and the roast lamb seasoned with sand and cut up straw passed us by. We knew that by the end of the night the cook would never trust us to help with the cooking again and that we would never have to deal with the evil Count Brass ever again."

She paused dramatically and the children squealed in protest, demanding that she keep going. She grinned and obliged.

"There was a complete uproar! As soon as the first taste of the soup was had, Count Brass claimed that he had been poisoned by my father and refused to keep quiet about it. My mother was running around like a headless chook by the time the roast was distributed to the guests, apologizing profusely for the inconvenience. The Count was still telling the guests around him that my father had poisoned him to get his position and demanded someone call a doctor to prove it! By now, everyone else was in chaos and there was food flying everywhere!"

The children laughed and Jack frowned again. Why was he no longer so intriguing?

Christina's eyes narrowed.

"But it was the mud cake that really did the trick. By desert, the Count had settled down a little, realizing that he was not dying and feeling quite foolish about making such a scene. He had one mouthful of the cake and then spat it out onto Mrs Ellery, the Governor's sister. She was so in shock that she could do nothing as he picked up the plate and threw it across the room. The cake landed on my father's head. Finally collecting herself, Mrs Ellery stood up and slapped Count Brass hard across the face. And that started the brawl. All of London's finest, the ladies in their budget blowing gowns and the gentleman in their suave tuxedos in a fight to the death. Punching, scratching, kicking, pinching, hair pulling, food throwing, everything. After an hour or so, everyone packed up and limped home. The next morning, it was all over the papers that my father had attempted to murder Count Brass by poisoning. Classic. Violet and I were never found out," Christina smiled, reminiscing.

The children cheered, about to reenact the scene told to them before Jack jumped in to stop them.

"Very nice, Christina," he told her as he snatched an apple ready to be thrown from one of the boys hands and she laughed.

As he leant over the table to stop another item of food waiting to be launched, the girl on his hip picked up a glass of milk within reach.

"Time to go home now," Jack announced as he stood upright again.

The children voiced their disappointment to him grumpily.

"Aye, aye, off the Pearl, n-"

Jack's sentence was cut short as the toddling girl emptied the milk in the glass she held onto his head. She giggled in delight as the milk trailed down his face.

"Like story!" she cried gleefully.

Christina bit her lip to hinder a giggle of her own. Not good.

Carefully putting the girl down and retrieving the glass from her tiny hand, Jack glared at Christina. Unfortunately, the milk dripping from his beard and dreaded hair did not add to his fearsome factor.

"Off the Pearl, everyone," Jack told the children again with wavering calmness.

Knowing better than to complain to the quick tempered pirate after the milk incident, the children let him usher them away.

Jack shot one last scowl at Christina before the door closed behind him and she erupted in laughter.

_Ailuro: That's fine, not a big fan of part six meself. I'm pretty sure they would've had boutiques back then. And, no, Anna is not the Anna from the movie. She's my own character. I have a question. Do you actually want Jack and Christina to get together at all? I'm confused. _


	8. The Other Source

_**Aye, it's finally happened. I own Pirates of the Caribbean. Suprised? Ye have no faith in me whatsoever, do you? Ok, ok, so maybe I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean YET but I'm definately in talks with Disney about the whole thing... Flippin' 'eck, yer like an elephant! I admit, there's no talks happening at present but I have every intention of callin' ol' Walt when I'm done typing up this... Alright, someone just informed me that Walt passed away. So, I 'spose I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean an' I never will. What a sob story, eh?**_

"...So, 'e waded out a ways and stayed there fer three days and three nights 'til all matter of sealife 'ad become acclimated t'his presence. An' then 'e grabbed 'imself a couple of sea turtles, roped 'em together and rode 'em out ta sea."

Both sitting on overturned crates on the deck, Christina stared blankly and wordlessly at Mr Gibbs as he awaited her reaction to the famous story of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Elizabeth already told me about how he spent three days on the beach drinking rum and then caught a ride with the rum runners," she informed him apologetically.

"Nay, that's just what 'e tells the ones 'o he knows won't believe the truth. Smart man, Jack is," Gibbs told her seriously.

"I'm sure you're right," Christina nodded, unconvinced.

"Do I detect a hint of disbelief, oh ye of little faith?" Jack asked from behind her, making her jump involuntarily.

"A little more than a hint, I should think," she countered without turning to face him. Jack smirked and took Gibb's crate when the man scuttled off, reaching for his flask as he seemed to do so often. It was close to dusk and Port Venesula was well out of sight. Falling into a comfortable silence, Jack and Christina gazed at the ocean around them.

"So, Elizabeth told ye the real story, eh?" Jack asked nonchalantly.

"With great disappointment. She couldn't believe it. In fact, I'm sure she would've found the sea turtle story more believable with all the other stories she'd heard about you being invincible," Christina chuckled.

"Well, I prefer t'keep that not so amazing story on the down low."

"Well, the amazing Captain Jack Sparrow doesn't really pop up in everyday conversations in upper class London so I wouldn't lose sleep over it if I were you."

Jack shot her a look and she grinned.

"Well, now ye know one of me very few less than utterly incredible attributes, give us one of yers," he prompted expectantly.

"Mr Sparrow, I am all utterly incredible through and through."

"How 'bout yer family?"

The nerve again. Ah, that nerve. Christina's smile wavered considerably.

"What about my family?"

"Why'd they send ye t'Port Royal?"

"...Difference in opinions."

"Ah, they thought ye shouldn't be courtin' the gardener and you thought he was the cat's pajamas, aye?"

"I don't know where you got that gardener idea but please drop it."

"The stable boy, then?"

"No!"

Jack narrowed his eyes all knowingly, "It was the kitchen hand, wasn't it? Those kitchen hands are charmers, aren't they?"

"There was no hired help involved, Jack."

Jack changed tacts.

"Difference of opinions, aye? So, what could an upper class teenage lass have an opinion on, I wonder? That the maid should've turned yer sheets down from left t'right instead of from right t'left? That daddy should buy ye that pretty lilac dress that all the other upper class teenage lass' 'ave? Oh, and the killer, should ye marry the rich gentleman with blonde hair or the rich gentleman with dark hair?"

Hurt flickered momentarily across Christina's face before she stood abruptly and walked away.

"Was it somethin' I said?" Jack called after her laughingly although he knew she would not be laughing. Maybe the last example had been a little harsh.

Sighing, he stood and walked over to where she stood at the side of the deck with her back to him.

"Maybe if ye told me I could help ye out," he tried again, determined to find out this big secret.

"Maybe if you didn't trivialize my life so, I _would_ tell you," Christina hissed.

"Maybe if ye gave me somethin' _not_ t'trivialize, I wouldn't!" Jack retorted.

"... That doesn't even make _sense_!" she spluttered before storming downstairs.

Jack stared incredulously after her. The woman was insane. Truly insane. He was doubtful that even with his impeccable interpersonal skills he would be able to get anything out of her. He narrowed his eyes. It was time to call in some help.

"Ana Maria."

The dark beauty lifted her dark chocolate eyes from the book she was reading to Jack's, her feet resting up on the spokes of the helm.

"Aye?"

"I'm sure ye've noticed there's another woman aboard the Pearl."

"Aye. The one ye kidnapped."

"It was _rescuing_, not kidnapping," Jack corrected, exasperated.

Ana Maria rolled her eyes and nodded, "Aye."

"I want ye t'talk t'her," Jack told her firmly.

Ana Maria frowned, "What about?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "Flowers. Boys. World peace. Yer childhood dream of owning a horse named Scottie, I dunno."

Ana Maria snorted at his sarcasm and continued reading, assuming the end of the pointless conversation.

"No, I'm serious. I want ye t'talk t'her. About... women stuff," Jack said the phrase as if tasted bitter and flicked his hand disdainfully.

"...Women stuff...?" Ana Maria repeated, not looking up from her book.

Jack snatched the book away quick as lightening and held it behind his back as she angrily tried to retrieve it. After a few minutes of grabbing for it and him pulling it just out of her grasp, she gave in and glared at him.

"Wha' 'women stuff' in particular, Jack?"

"Ask 'er about 'er home, 'er boyfriends, 'er dogs... 'er family."

Ana Maria narrowed her eyes and poked him roughly in the chest.

"Why don't ye go find out yerself, ye nosey git?"

"Because I'm a man!"

"What?"

Jack scowled at her cluelessness to the fact.

"Women open up t'women. Men are left out of the loop. Simple as that."

Ana Maria let out a huff of frustration and snatched her book back from behind his back.

"Where is the lass?"

A few moments later, a knock was heard in the Captain's Cabin. Christina, laying on her stomach on the bed, decided not to answer in hope that the person responsible would leave without further disturbance. Unfortunately, the person took the lack of negative response for a positive and she heard the door creak open and then close again.

Bloody pirates. No sense of privacy.

"What?" she growled as she turned to face the door. She was suprised to see a woman standing just inside the cabin, looking rather unhappy to be there.

"Ana Maria. It's Christina, right?"

"...Yes," Christina confirmed as Ana Maria paced the room to sit on the edge of the bed uncomfortably.

A shifty silence followed that left Christina in the dark as to why this woman had come to see her.

"So yer the one 'o was goin' ta marry Norrington, eh?" the pirate woman asked in a tone that showed she already knew the answer and was asking to be polite. Christina frowned.

"Yes."

"So that would make ye the reason we 'ave the Navy after us?"

"Yes."

Ana Maria nodded. Christina frowned again. Surely there must be a point to this.

"Bet yer family must miss ye, aye?"

And there it was.

"Jack sent you," Christina stated.

Ana Maria's eyes widened, about to deny the accusation before she saw Christina's face already acknowledging it as fact. Resignation showed on her dark features, "Aye."

"To find out about my family?"

"Aye."

"Stubborn git."

"Aye," Ana Maria chuckled in agreement, "What made ye want ta marry the Commodore anyways, just outta curiosity."

Studying Ana Maria and deciding her trustworthy, Christina sighed, "Long story. Basically, if I was to be married to anyone socially decent at all, he would be the only choice. No one else would stoop as low."

"Low? Yer the Governor's niece! And surely yer parents hold some status in London?" Ana Maria pointed out.

Christina bit her lip.

"Do you promise you won't tell Jack any of this?"

Ana Maria grinned wickedly, "Aye."

When she walked out of the cabin an hour later, Jack was sitting on the floor by the door, waiting patiently. Ana Maria walked right past him and he shot up and spun her around.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

Jack gave her a warning look, "The lass. What did ye get out of her?"

"Oh. Just about 'er home in London an' 'er family and things like that. Normal 'women stuff'," she told him casually before continuing on her way.

"Ana!" Jack roared.

Ana Maria spun around to face him.

"Bleedin' 'ell, Jack. What is it, ye daft fool?"

"Tell me about 'er family!"

"Sorry. Already gave 'er me solemn word I wouldn't tell a soul," the woman smirked.

"You what?"

"Gave 'er me word."

Jack tried to control his anger and Ana Maria tried to control her laughter.

"I'm off t'finish me book. Good luck with 'er," Ana Maria said over her shoulder as she went back upstairs.

Jack bit onto his fist to refrain from yelling after her in rage. The woman to woman idea had fallen through. But it was alright because he had other sources.

It was time to get some very good friends of Christina very drunk.

Three hours saw Will and Elizabeth rather intoxicated in the Captain's private dining room.

"To ye wedding!" Jack toasted and they all clinked bottles and took a swig of rum.

"To children in the future!" Jack cheered merrily, followed by another swig of rum for the three.

"To yer children's children!"

Another swig of rum.

"To everyone's children's children!"

Another swig of rum.

"...To...world peace!"

Another swig of rum.

"...To...-"

"Jack!" Elizabeth protested, hiccuping.

Jack lifted his brows, "What?"

"Tell us wha you're gettin' us drunk for!" she slurred.

"Elizabeth, if you are suggestin' that I would ever purposefully intoxicate you and your husband for less than honorable reasons, I am deeply hurt," Jack replied lamentingly.

Will raised a brow at him and he widened his eyes innocently.

"Can't a man celebrate with friends without being accused of having agendas other than havin' good time?" Jack argued.

"A man, yes. But not a pirate. Not you, Jack," Will told him.

Jack grinned at this.

"Ye know me too well fer me own good, young William. It's about Christina..." he started, watching them to gauge their reactions.

Elizabeth and Will drew deep breaths while sharing a knowing look.

"Jack...," Elizabeth warned. Will gave him a look saying it was best to leave the subject alone.

This wasn't working. Even when they were drunk, he couldn't get anything out of them. He needed his infinite genius to kick in and he needed it to kick in now.

"Well, ... I already know the big one," Jack told them reassuringly. If that wasn't stab in the dark, he didn't know what was.

Will and Elizabeth narrowed their eyes disbelievingly.

"You what?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack refrained from the urge to bite his lip.

"I know... Ye know, the _big_ one."

Elizabeth and Will shared another look.

"You mean Chris told you about her father?" Will asked cautiously.

Ah ha! Progress!

"Aye."

"... Her real father?" Will tried again.

Jack could hardly believe his luck. The lass was part of some scandal! He kept a solemn face.

"Aye."

"Please don' tell me tha' was the reason y'took her on the Pearl, Jack," Elizabeth slurred, depressed by the idea as she put her head in her hands.

Jack perked up at this. There may be something of benefit to him in this secret? How was that?

"Of course not," he scoffed.

Will gave him a reproving look.

"So you're telling me that you knew that Christina was the daughter of Barbossa and you took her aboard just to help her out?" he asked accusingly.

Jack couldn't stop his jaw from dropping now. This was unheard of! Nothing could've prepared him for this.

Will's face fell at his suprise.

"You... you didn't know?" he stumbled.

"Jack!" Elizabeth cried in distress.

"It's not like I'm goin' ta tell th'world!" Jack spat in defense.

Just a few interested mates..., he added silently.

_And that would be Christina's big secret. And now Jack knows... Now I have to come up with the next chapter's plot... Blast!_

jennifer123: _ha, ye liked tha milk thing, aye? So did I. It was something I had been wanting to put into a chapter fer ages. The idea of Jack having a glass of milk emptied on his head just strikes me as hilarious! 'Alive' descriptions, aye? Thankye kindly! Hope ye liked this part too. Oh, and ye'll be pleased t'know that I figured out the whole anonymous business! _

Karribean: _Glad ye liked the shopping. That was fun t'write. And the storytelling part was fun too. Here's the next addition. Enjoy._

Ailuro: _Oh good! Otherwise I might disappoint ye! And I wouldn't make them fall in love straight away but there still 'as ta be that tension, ye know? Aye, making up the rest of that 'and then they made me their chief' story was a ball! I hope I did it justice! And I'm glad Jack was in character. He can either be very easy or very difficult to keep in character! Cheers fer the reviews, they're much appreciated._


	9. A Sapphire For A Lady

_**No Pirates of the Caribbean for me...**_

Barbossa's daughter.

Barbossa had a daughter.

Barbossa was a father.

It was too much of an insane thought for even Jack's mind to comprehend. The git had a daughter and never told him. Barbossa had been his first mate after all and the Captain should know little details like that. Little details like the fact that he had been responsible for bringing life into the world were not supposed to be overlooked. But maybe Barbossa hadn't known any more than Jack about his offspring. That was definately not inconceivable for a pirate. Even for one not as charming and seductive as Jack himself.

But the fact that that offspring was Christina was even more insane. How did such a filthy traitorous menace have part in the production of such a quaint and proper, albeit a little hotheaded, young lady? She didn't share her father's lack of fortune in appearance. She certainly didn't strike one as the sort capable of mutiny. Probably didn't even know what a mutiny was. There had to be some mistake he was overlooking. It was impossible.

"_Improbable_," Jack muttered in correction to himself as he stormed purposefully down the hall.

Christina had been tossing and turning for hours on end, trying to get some sleep but kept up by what Ana Maria had told her about her real father and Jack. She had been left reeling in shock when the dark woman had told her of the mutiny that Jack had conveniently forgotten to tell her about. It was definately for the best that Jack didn't know about her being Barbossa's daughter and she was glad for the itching feeling she had that she shouldn't tell him.

It was just as she was finally nodding off, however, that Jack burst in through the door. Christina shot straight up in the bed, holding the sheet up to her chin. Squinting as her eyes readjusted to the light coming in from the hall, she recognized Jack standing in the doorway and rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing, you bloody pirate?" she moaned as she flopped back down.

"Like you're one to throw the word around like it's an insult!" Jack spat.

"What?" Christina frowned as she pushed herself back up again to face him, her hair tumbling over her face before she could push it out of her eyes.

"Why didn't ye tell me?" Jack demanded angrily, pulling the sheets off of her.

"Tell you what?" Christina yelped as he tugged her out of bed by her elbow, wearing only one of his white shirts.

"Don't play the fool, Christina. Ye know exactly what I'm talking about," Jack warned fiercely as they stood toe to toe. She yanked out of his grasp on her arm and glared back up at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she hissed venomously.

"Oh, I'm sorry I must be mistaken, Miss Lacimore," Jack replied, sarcasm dripping in plenty on his voice, "Or d'ye prefer Miss Barbossa?"

Even in the dark, Jack could see the colour drain from Christina's face as she stood frozen before him. She started to tremble involuntarily as Jack kept his glare fixed on her.

"Who told you?" she managed shakily.

"Doesn't matter. The fact is that _you_ didn't tell me," Jack answered accusingly.

By now, some of the crew were in the doorway, peering into the darkness of the Captain's Cabin to observe the intriguing uproar. A worried looking Will and Elizabeth arrived with Ana Maria at their heels.

Christina spotted Ana Maria in the doorway and pointed a trembling finger at her angrily.

"You told him!" she shouted.

"Nay, lass! I gave me word! Someone else told 'im," Ana Maria said defensively, her gaze shifting pointedly to Will and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth hiccuped. Will rubbed the back of his head nervously. Christina's eyes widened.

"But... you don't even know! How do you know about it?" she demanded.

"We added it up...," Will shrugged.

"It wasn't hard to guess, Chris," Elizabeth insisted guiltily.

Christina averted her eyes. If Will knew that her father had been responsible for his father's death, how was it that he was not angry at her as well as Jack? Everyone stood in silence for a minute or so before Jack snorted bitterly.

"Nothin' at all t'say in yer defense, aye?"

"What have I to defend?" Christina replied with flashing eyes, "How can I help who my parents are?"

"Ye can't! But ye should've told me ye were Barbossa's daughter!" Jack retorted.

"I didn't realize I had any reason to until I spoke to Ana Maria today. If I had've known about the mutiny, I would've told you," Christina told him calmly, trying to keep her cool.

"So ye were goin' ta tell me, were ye?" Jack taunted.

"...No," Christina answered truthfully.

Jack nodded, proven correct.

"But only because I knew you'd react like this!" Christina cried.

"Like what?" Jack roared.

"Like a man off his nutter!" Christina roared back.

"So ye're tryin' t'tell me that ye had no idea about the mutiny?" Jack prompted, eyes filled with rage at her as yet unspoken answer.

"I didn't even know you existed until you came to Port Royal! Do you think my father came every night to tell me bedtime stories about his interactions with Jack Sparrow? He didn't even wait around to find out my mother was pregnant, Jack! And it's not like I could've asked her about him. All she knew was that she had gotten drunk one night and woke up alone the next morning after he slept with her," Christina told him, pleading sounding through her defensiveness.

"Then how did she know that it was him?" Jack pressed.

Christina rolled her eyes, "He left behind his hat."

Jack had to smirk at this. There hadn't been a day that he had known Barbossa that the pirate hadn't rambled something about misplacing his favorite hat years ago.

Christina was infuriated by his smirk.

"Do you think it's funny?" she spat.

Jack widened his eyes with instinctive innocence.

"No!"

They both stood in silence for a moment, breathing heavily with anger.

"Why didn't ye tell me anyway? About yer father not bein' yer father?" Jack asked pointedly.

Christina blushed at this. Jack frowned.

"Ye're embarrassed t'have pirate's blood in ye," he realised.

"It's not exactly the sort of thing you get congratulations for in London, Jack," Christina replied sarcastically.

"Well, we're not in bloody London, are we?" Jack pointed out impatiently, "Why didn't ye tell me?"

Christina let out a sound of frustration and looked heavenwards.

"I don't know! It's just habit to keep it a secret!"

Jack shook his head.

"Yer goin' ta blame it on habit? I would expect more from you than that even now I know that yer Barbossa's daughter," he sneered.

Christina stared at him incredulously, "Am I supposed to take that as an insult? You act as though I have some form of respect for my father! Like I could care less what you have to say about him. Don't fool yourself Jack, I know he was a pitiful excuse for a pirate and a man!"

Although satisfied with her words, Jack refused to let her steer the argument off track.

"I know why ye didn't tell me," he informed her.

She lifted her chin and beckoned him to tell her.

"Because ye'd hate to not have the fact that you're of a higher class to hold over me head. You couldn't handle it if I knew that you were nothing more than me," he smiled bitterly, "Tough luck, eh?"

Christina was about to deny the hard accusation profusely when Jack turned, pushed his way through the nosey crew and left. Refusing to let him have the last word, she pushed past the crew herself and stormed after him.

Catching up, she walked around in front of him and stopped, forcing him to stop as well. She pointed a finger into his chest roughly.

"Don't you dare try to blame your own insecurities on me, Jack Sparrow," she whispered, quietly enough so that no one else would hear but fiercely enough for the words to take effect on him.

Jack stared at her for a moment, at a loss of words for once in his life.

"What makes you think I have any insecurities, luv?" he asked eventually, trying to sound as careless as possible. Christina didn't waver or hesitate.

"I didn't once act like I thought I was better than you. I didn't make any assumptions about you. And I didn't bring up my class at all. You did. You're the one this matters to. Don't accuse me of me of your own crimes."

And with that, she returned to the cabin and closed the door quietly behind her, leaving a stunned Jack in her wake. Will, Elizabeth, Ana Maria and the crew studied him expectantly. Unwilling to deal with them, Jack turned and headed for the guest cabin.

The next morning, Christina woke with a headache. She moaned and slowly lifted herself off the bed, rubbing her throbbing temples. She paced to the small port hole and started to open it before she realised what was on the other side of it. The Pearl was no longer at sea.

Before she had a moment to digest the fact, a knock sounded at her door and she turned to see Jack entering.

"Mornin' luv. Sleep well?" he asked pleasantly.

Not sure what to make of his behavior, Christina nodded and eyed him cautiously as he walked toward her and glanced out the port hole.

"Ah, ye found me suprise already. That," he gestured toward the busy town, "is Rhoding. Me second favorite place in the world next to Tortuga."

"Oh," was all Christina could say in response, paying more attention to him than their destination.

"Now, I 'ave an old acquaintance t'meet up with but this evening I shall show ye around the place," Jack told her cheerily, turning to leave.

"Jack...," Christina started. He swayed back, a reassuring smile on his face.

"Forget las' night, lass. 'Twas just a big misunderstandin'," he shrugged with a flick of his hand before disappearing into the hall.

Christina frowned worriedly.

"Just a big misunderstandin'," Jack smirked under his breath as he made his drunken way to the deck and down the gangplank to the docks.

It wasn't long before he found the bar he was looking for. He grinned, finding that it hadn't changed much, still flaunting a horrid shade of green on it's gutters and window sills and it's timber porch darkened not with lacquer but with years of alcohol spills and stomach emptying mishaps.

The Sailor's Love. And loved by sailors it was.

Jack sauntered inside, grinning at those he recognized and tipping his hat to those he didn't. Even in the late morning, the bar was still filled with people trying to recover from the night before. Trying to cure alcohol consumption with more of it. Jack loved it.

It became clear that he was searching for someone, his head turning this way and that, resulting in the clattered tinkling of the beads in his hair. His kohl lined eyes skimmed over the depressed looking faces of the hungover customers and the fed up faces of the employees. His eyes all of a sudden lit up.

"Samuel!" he cried in delight, putting out a hand towards a rough looking man with frightening scars running down the sides of his face and piercing blue eyes.

"How ya doin', Jack?" the man returned cheerfully with an obviously rare smile creasing his features.

"Just fine, mat-"

"Jack!"

Jack turned to see a beaming blonde woman coming his way. He tried desperately to remember the wench's name. Melissa. Melanie. Michelle. Marissa. Mary... Mary! That was it!

"Mary!" he exclaimed, trying to match her obvious joy with his own as she dragged him into a sensual embrace that left even him a little flustered.

Samuel let out a hearty laugh, "Why is it that all women insist on greeting you in the same fashion, Jack?"

"Ah, it's just instinct, mate. The first time they scream out my name in the most intense ecstasy they've ever felt, they just can't seem to stop themselves," Jack winked as Mary gave him a kiss on the cheek and sashayed away, a suggestive pout on her lips.

Samuel chuckled and flung an arm around Jack's shoulders. It was clear to everyone else in the bar that Samuel was the much stronger of the two, towering over Jack. He led him towards the back of the bar and beckoned him to grab a seat at the secluded table in the corner. He signaled to one of the girls to bring a round of drinks and turned back to Jack purposefully.

"Now, what 'ave ya come ta see me for, Jack?"

Jack leaned back and nodded his thanks with a crooked smile at the very young pretty girl that set a mug of rum before each of the men. The girl grinned back shyly before retreating back to the bar. Jack turned his attention back to Samuel who was rolling his eyes at the charmer's ability to seduce any strumpet.

"Well, dear Sam, I 'ave a proposition fer you," Jack informed him before taking a mouthful of rum and enjoying the soothing burning sensation that travelled to his stomach.

"Is that so? Ya best be tellin' me about it then, aye?" Samuel grinned.

"Aye, I 'spose yer right. Do you or do you not recall a certain pirate who went by the name of Barbossa?" Jack asked casually.

Samuel's face darkened with hatred at the mention.

"Aye. Ya know me story goes much the same as yours, Jack. He was me first mate and he convinced me crew t'betray me and then marooned me on a god forsaken spit of land he called an island. And ya know we weren't the only poor souls the scum pulled it on. He gave me these scars," Samuel ran his fingers down the brutal looking lines on his face, "'Course I remember 'im. What I would don't to 'im if he was still alive."

"That's what I thought," Jack nodded, downing some more rum.

After no more came from the mysterious pirate, Samuel huffed impatiently.

"So ye came all the way 'ere to make sure I remembered Barbossa, did ya, Jack? The rumours are true then. Ya truly have lost it," Samuel said and Jack lowered his brows at him.

"Nay, didn't I tell ye I had a proposition? Now, do ye or do ye not remember The Sapphire?" Jack asked elusively, studying his nails airily.

Samuel chuckled, "Aye. Ya begged for that ship like ya life depended on bein' Captain of it. Why?"

"Do ye still 'ave it?"

"...Yes."

"I want it."

"Oh, really?"

"Aye."

"This doesn't really help ya case of being sane, Jack."

"Ah, well. I give up on that case."

"Wha' made ya think ya could come 'ere an' demand yaself a ship?"

"Demand? It's a request, mate. An' I never said there was nothin' in it fer you," Jack smiled secretively.

Samuel leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his muscular chest, "And what could ya possibly 'ave that I want, Jack Sparrow?"

"Well, seeing as ye couldn't get revenge on Barbossa 'imself, I figured that the next best thing would be t'ave ye revenge on on eof his own," Jack shrugged carelessly although there was an intense eagerness to hear the man's response in his eyes.

"One of his own?" Samuel repeated questioningly.

"Aye. I found his daughter."

Jack decided to give the man a little time to soak in the suprising information. He took the opportunity to turn around and grin suggestively at the young girl from before. Seeing his grin, the girl blushed and ducked her head to hide her own grin. Satisfied, Jack turned his attention back to Samuel and was a little unsettled to see the immense menace and greed in the brute's eyes.

"Ya have her here, d'ya, Jack?" Samuel asked roughly.

"Aye, on the Pearl."

"When can I have her?"

Jack lifted his brows in suprise. This was going to be easier than he thought.

"When can I have the Sapphire?"

"Tonight."

"Then tonight ye can 'ave the girl. She's a beauty too, Sam. I almost feel like I should be askin' ye fer more than the ship," Jack shook his head.

Samuel eyed him suspiciously.

"Barbossa marooned you too, Jack. Not hungry for revenge anymore?"

"I shot the man, Sam. I think that's enough for me."

Satisfied, Samuel nodded and stuck out his hand. Jack hesitated for just a moment, remembering the weight of his actions and what would become of Christina if he went through with this. She'd only be alive long enough for Samuel to enjoy her. Then he'd kill her. And not quickly either. He'd make her suffer at his hand the same way he suffered at her father's.

Biting the inside of his lip and looking as confident as possible, Jack met Samuel's hand and shook it heartily.

"We have an accord."

_I know what ye're thinkin'. Jack is a bastard. Understandable. Actually, I have nothing to say in his defense. After such a shock, I shall expect there to be an unbelievable amount of people reviewing and telling me how shocking the shock actually was. So review away._

Karibbean: _Oh, good. I'm glad me story is easy to picture because it makes it more enjoyable to read, right? Yes, the snappy conversation was very snappy indeed. And Jack got to show his true potential of being a complete arse. He he he, yes, that secret was such a joy to put in! I was actually writing the toasts and trying to figure out what on earth Christina's secret could possibly be! An' it came t'me like that. And I didn't go too much into Jack's reaction because I figured people like yeself would be able to picture it perfectly anyway! Thanks fer ye reviews, luv._

Ailuro:_ Ah ha! Another best chapter yet, aye? I'm excited! I'm glad ye think Will was in character 'cause he's a hard one to write. And the toasts were a ball t'write. I could've gone on but I thought it may have gotten a little repetitive and I didn't want that. I'm really glad that people seem to be able t'picture all this in their heads cause it takes a bit of the pressure off me! Ha, I'm a lazy git! I'm glad I've got such a good reviewer t'help me out. Cheers, luv!_


	10. The Sad Sad Trade

_**I am writing to you from a disclosed, top secret location today. Disclosed because I haven't told you where it is an' top secret fer the same reason. Why the drama, ye ask? Well, I shall tell ye. It's those bloody lawyers. They reckon they caught me wearing a large sign saying 'I OWN PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. TALK TO ME AND YOU SHALL BE SAVED'. And that's why they're after me. I told them it was a joke. How ridiculous to believe such a thing! No one can be saved just by talking to someone! Fools... By the way, I do NOT own Pirates of the Caribbean.**_

"There she is, Jack. Just like ya remember her, aye?"

Jack grinned at Samuel before turning his attention back to the Sapphire. The beauty graced the harbor elegantly, looking strangely out of place next to the other pirate ships with her finely crafted hull and crisp white sails. She got her name from the blue reflection of the moon that the water's skin flung at her sails.

Even someone who was not educated in the nautical world would know that while they were looking at the Sapphire, they were looking at something magical.

"Aye," Jack agreed.

"That's the Sapphire?" Ana Maria asked a little breathlessly from beside him.

"Aye," Jack nodded proudly. Just as he was about to walk up the gangplank, Samuel stuck out an arm and stopped him.

"The girl first, Jack. Then ya can 'ave the ship."

Jack eyed Samuel's arm and bared his teeth in a fake smile.

"Not even a looksee?"

"Not even a looksee."

Jack huffed resignedly, stepping away from the Sapphire with a little difficulty.

"What are ya goin' ta do with the Pearl?" Samuel asked.

"Well, I'm goin' t'take the Sapphire t'night after I deliver the girl an' Ana 'ere is goin' ta take the Pearl early tomorrow," Jack replied, still eyeing the Sapphire lustfully.

"Right. So it's all sorted then, aye?" Samuel nodded.

"All sorted, mate. Ye just go back t'The Sailor's Love and I'll bring her within the hour," he told Sam confidently. Samuel grunted and nodded before turning away and stalking towards his bar. Ana Maria stared after him until he disappeared into the growing darkness and shot a sharp look at Jack who widened his eyes innocently.

"Ye're goin' ta just hand Christina over t'him?" she snapped disapprovingly.

"Ana, just keep focused and remember that our goal is the Sapphire," Jack told her firmly.

"Doncha go tellin' me t'keep focused, Jack! Ye can't just hand the lass over t'some monster! I know ye ain't got a heart that black," Ana Maria hissed as some passerbys passed by.

"I wouldn't go convincin' yeself of that too quickly or ye might be disappointed, lass. Now," Jack turned her around by her shoulders to face the Sapphire and proceeded to whisper in her ear, "How would ye like t'be Captain of 'er, Ana?"

Ana Maria's brown eyes popped open wide, "Me?"

"Aye. As incredible as I am, I can't go bein' Captain of both the Pearl and the Sapphire, now can I?" Jack smiled.

Thinking it over, Ana Maria turned to face him and stuck out her hand, "I accept."

"Ye accept? Shouldn't there be a heartfelt thankye in there somewhere?" Jack frowned.

"Ye owe me a boat," Ana Maria shook her head.

"I gave ye the Interceptor, woman!" Jack growled.

"And then ye sunk it, ye daft fool!" Ana Maria reminded him.

Jack was about to shout back when he remembered she was right and smiled sheepishly, "Oh, yes."

Realizing that Samuel would be waiting back at the bar by now, Jack jumped and started towards the Pearl. Taking a moment to register, Ana Maria followed after him.

"I still don' know about this, Jack," she called after him.

"It's COMMODORE Jack t'ye now, Ana!" Jack corrected over his shoulder.

Ana Maria rolled her eyes.

"Ye 'ave a hard enough time gettin' people ta call ye Captain! What makes ye think they'll call ye Commodore?" she taunted as they made their way onto the Pearl.

Jack didn't reply as they headed below decks silently. Ana Maria didn't know it but Jack was filled with doubt over the deal. Christina was right. She had no control over who her parents were. Jack was surprised at himself. He wasn't usually so quick to pass judgment. Besides, it wasn't her fault that her father was a traitorous no good bilge rat of a bastard.

Christina awoke when a quiet knock sounded at her door. She turned onto her side to see Jack entering, a plastered on smile lighting up his face. Ana Maria stood slightly behind him, looking at her shoes.

"Ye've been sleepin' all day, luv?" he asked softly.

She stretched and nodded, all the more tired from oversleeping.

"Did ye feel up t'goin' out t'night? There's someone I wanted ye t'meet," Jack told her as nonchalantly as he could manage, trying not to sound guilty.

Christina frowned, "Actually I was hoping that I would be able to talk to you about last night..."

"Don' worry ye pretty head about all that. Get dressed and we'll go," Jack told her cheerfully.

Christina narrowed her eyes suspiciously but decided to think nothing of his brushing off the subject. She lifted herself off the bed, rubbing her face as she paced to his wardrobe that she had adopted as her own. Jack left her be and joined Ana Maria in the hall, closing the door behind him quietly. He tried to the best of his ability to ignore the pointed stare he was receiving from the woman but eventually he widened his eyes with exasperation at her.

"What?" he snapped.

"Ye know what," Ana Maria replied, nonplussed.

"Aye, but would ye leave me with me own guilt, please? I don't need ye addin' to me misery," Jack told her honestly.

Ana Maria opened her mouth to beseech him when Christina opened the door. Ana Maria shut her mouth closed and averted her eyes back to her shoes as Christina eyed her questioningly.

Jack felt another pang of guilt when he saw that Christina wore one of the dresses his money had gone towards a few days ago. Feigning impatience he nodded at her.

"'Bout ready now, luv?"

Christina arched a brow.

"Yes. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Jack sighed as they walked into town together, not bothering to point out any of the highlights like he had promised to that morning. Christina pretended not to notice until they reached The Sailor's Love. She made no attempt to hide her distaste for the under the weather looking bar.

"Oh, Jack. You shouldn't have."

Jack smirked at her sarcasm and escorted her inside despite her hesitance to follow. Her hesitance soon made itself scarce due to the rough looking group of people inside and she stuck mighty close to Jack.

"Who was this person you wanted me to meet?" she inquired over his shoulder.

At his lack of response she groaned.

"Please don't tell me you're taking me to meet some whore you were once on close terms with?" she pleaded and he laughed involuntarily.

"Nay, luv. No whores t'night," he assured her.

Knowing Jack, Christina didn't fully believe him until he steered her towards a particularly frightening looking character. She tried not to stare at the horrific scars that graced his pale features and focused on his electric blue eyes.

"Christina, this is Sam," Jack introduced politely, averting his eyes to anywhere else in the bar than the two of them.

"Nice to meet you, Sam," Christina smiled, offering her hand. Sam shook it roughly without smiling back and Christina's wavered with unexplained apprehension. After an uncomfortable silence, Jack piped up.

"Well, now we're all introduced, let's 'ave a drink, aye?"

After fifteen minutes, Jack couldn't keep still. He knew Samuel was eager for him to leave so that he could make off with Christina and do what he wished but that was also the thing that made him stay. Christina was oblivious to the tension between the two men and tried to carry a light conversation on her own. Save for when a moody grunt emerged from Samuel or Jack made a nervous joke. Finally, with Samuel was shooting daggers at him visually, Jack knew he had to make a move. He leaned over to Christina.

"I just remembered I left somethin' back on the Pearl. Ye'll be alright 'ere fer a little bit, aye?"

Christina whirled her head to face him, eyes wide and pleading with him to stay. Although she didn't know much of Jack's old friend, she knew he was not the type she'd be comfortable alone with.

It was upon seeing her silent begging that Jack almost decided to throw in the towel and call the whole deal off. But then he remembered the Sapphire. He could see her now. Her sails almost glistening in the moonlight and moving gracefully with the wind. Her hull letting the water lightly sway her back and forth.

"I'll be right back... I promise," he assured her smilingly and left before she could say another word. It took all of his strength to walk out the door and away from the bar without looking back. With a heavy heart, he head towards the Sapphire.

Meanwhile, Christina shifted uncomfortable in her chair under Samuel's intrusive gaze. Lifting her eyes to meet his, she cursed silently when they instinctively strayed to his scars and she lowered her eyes again. Samuel smirked.

"Lookin' at these, lass?" he ran his finger down the side of his face, tracing one of the mauve lines.

Christina shook her head violently. After several more minutes of silence and squirming, she bit her lip. She didn't remember the docks being that far away. What was taking that blasted pirate so long?

"How's about we go upstairs an' I show ya the rest of the bar?" Samuel suggested gruffly, already rising from his chair. Christina's eyes widened.

"Sh...Shouldn't we wait for Jack?" she managed weakly. Somehow, she already had the feeling that her words were useless noise and a deep fear clung onto her.

Samuel chuckled with no joy, "We won't be long."

Ana Maria breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Jack making his way toward her.

"Ye made the trade, then?" she asked softly. Jack tried to hide his lament.

"Aye. Let's get goin'."

Samuel turned the key in the lock and smirked as a shriek of realization sounded within the attic. He walked back downstairs and towards one of the girls at the bar.

"I'm goin' out fer a bit. Keep an eye on the place, aye?" he told her. The girl nodded and he left the bar and headed for the docks. He wasn't a fool. He knew Jack well enough to know that no one could completely know the pirate. Nothing was as it seemed with Jack and he suspected this would also apply to the trade. The man was always up to something.

Reaching the harbor, he searched for the Sapphire and was pleasantly suprised to see that she was already on her way out to sea. He squinted and recognized Jack's outline at the helm by his tri cornered hat and long coat. It seemed he had been wrong to doubt the Captain.

Shaking his head, he turned and headed back for the Sailor's Love.

Back at the bar, Christina was trembling uncontrollably back in the room Samuel had locked her in. This was not good. She had realised as the man had been explaining about where he had gotten his scars that it had in fact been her father that had been responsible. Unfortunately, it had not been until the key had turned that she realised that Samuel had also been aware of the connection. Immediately, she had searched for an escape in a panic. There were no windows in the small attic. There were no trapdoors leading to downstairs. The only entrance and exit was the locked door.

She froze as she heard heavy footsteps coming her way. Her body refused to let her move from the middle of the room as the door was unlocked and opened.

Samuel grinned as his eyes found her and he closed the door behind him.

"'Allo, lass."

Christina said nothing nor made any movement. But her breath quickened with her heart.

Downstairs, Mary had watched Jack and the random lass enter the bar. She had watched them sit down with Sam. She had watched Jack leave and Sam escort the girl upstairs a short while later. She had watched Sam come back down without the girl, leave for a few minutes and then return back up the stairs. All this she had watched with silent subtlety, trying to figure out what was going on. She knew it was interesting, due to the solemn look on Jack's face as he left, the frightened one on the girl's and Samuel's angry expression.

The curiosity was killing her.

She sashayed towards the cabinet where the liquor was kept out of view of the less than honorable and likely to succumb to stealing customers and pulled out a bottle. She was about to down a gulp when something outside the window to her right caught her eye. She slowly lowered the bottle and paced towards the window cautiously, her eyes flickering across the view outside and searching for any sign of movement.

There it was again. Someone was sneaking around out there.

She told one of the other barmaids that she would be out for a moment and exited the building, heading towards where she had last seen the person responsible for her being there. She searched the bushes and shrubbery nearby and found no one. After looking around a few moments longer, she gave in, blaming what she had seen on too much alcohol although she had only had a few sips that night.

Just as she was about to retreat back inside, a hand reached out and grabbed her from behind, making a strangled yelp escape her lips before she promptly elbowed her attacker in the ribs. Filled with rage at being taken by suprise, she kicked the doubled over figure in the stomach with such force that he bellowed in pain and fell to the ground.

"Just 'o d'ye think ye are, ye pervert?" she demanded, about to kick the man in the side as he writhed on the ground when a he moaned. She recognized that moan.

The intense anger in her eyes was instantly replaced with concern and worry.

"Jack?"

_Ha ha ha! I love cliffhangers, don't you? Thanks fer the reviews everyone. Although I feel I had to con ye into it. It's the price ye pay, I 'spose. An' fer those of ye who do not have the memory of an elephant, Mary was introduced in the last chapter as the whore who's embrace left Jack flustered. Now fer me replies..._

jennifer123: _I know this installment leaves ye a little in the dark but I had t'cut the thing in half 'cause it was so long. So ye don't get ta find out if Chris kills Jack or not. Sorry 'bout that... not really, but ye know. _

garfield16: _This is Captain Jack Sparrow, ye have ta understand. He's dishonest. An' a dishonest man ye can always trust t'be dishonest. Yes, poor Chris. The things I put her through. I wish I could feel guilty but it just makes fer such good entertainment! ... An' I do hope ye haven't perished yet, luv. That would be a shame._

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _'Ello, luv. I feel me pirate accent bein' threatened! Bravo! And ye are a clever one, ain't ye? All these other ignorants are runnin' aroun' worried fer Christina. An' ye the only one 'o remembered that Jack is a bloody good pirate! Second bravo. Aye, aye, Chris'll end up with Jack... when I feel like it... eventually..._

Karibbean: _Aye, I quite liked that title too! Got a ring ta it, I think. Jack is a huge jerk. Aye. As fer there bein' nothin' t'worry about, I shall 'ave t'decide. I'm still thinkin' up the plot fer the next part so it could either go breezy if I'm in a good mood or someone might not make it... Alright, no one will die... Hopefully. I'm glad yer findin' this enjoyable, luv!_

Ailuro: _A blackmark, eh? I don't respond well ta bein' threatened, luv. Ah, well, 'ere's the next part anyway. I could do a dance about the marysue comment bein' thrown out the window... If I could in fact dance, that would pro'ly help me out. Oh, good, no one had stolen me idea of Barbossa's daughter. This is good news. Aye the last chapter was me longest (a little too long I think). An' I am really relieved that ye liked Christina's dialogue t'Jack. I was a little hesitant of that. But a little drama ne'er killed anyone, right? HA HA! ANOTHER FAVORITE CHAPTER! I'm on a roll! Well, I'm glad ye can relate with Chris then 'cause it's hard fer me to when I thought her up, ye know? I hope she is a well rounded character an' not a blank! An' root fer Jack. He needs it. Christina can look out fer herself but he's a little vulnerable I think. Cheers, luv!_


	11. The Navy Must Be Bumped

"Good God, Jack! What are ye doin' out 'ere? Ye gave me the fright of me life, ye did!" Mary exclaimed as she tried to help the winded pirate to his feet. He brushed off her attempts and, taking a moment to breathe one of the necessities of life that was oxygen, he slowly raised himself from the ground with difficulty.

Mary bit her lip, partly in guilt and partly to keep a straight face as Jack brushed leaves, clumps of dirt and various other particles off himself. Noticing, Jack glared.

"Is it yer routine recreation t' brutally victimize innocent men late at night or am I lucky number one?"

Mary snorted before she could stop herself and instantly turned on the apologetic charm, "I just didn't recognize ye. Didn't remember ye bein' so handsome, Jack. It's hard ta tell with yer hat an' coat on all tha time."

Jack felt lament at being reminded that he was missing his most precious affect. He had grudgingly handed over his hat along with his coat to Ana Maria earlier so that she could pose as him at the helm of the Sapphire and hence convince Samuel of the idea that he had left Rhoding. It had worked well, Samuel had bought it. Jack had watched from the safety of a nearby low bridge as the man had arrived, accepted Ana Maria as Jack and then returned to the bar.

It had been successful. Jack still missed his hat.

He realised that Mary was watching his mournful silence and straightened up.

"I need yer help, Mary. Where's Sam?"

"Upstairs back at tha bar, why? It 'as ta do with that lass, aye?" Mary nodded insightfully. Jack hesitated before nodding in confirmation.

"She's up there with him?" he asked apprehensively.

"Aye. She looked mighty scared, too. Can't blame 'er neither. Sam scares the 'ell outta me s'well. T'would be a sad place ta be on his enemy list," Mary told him seriously.

"Thanks. I feel so much better now," Jack replied sarcastically.

Mary rolled her eyes, "What d'ye want, Jack?"

"I _need _yet'get him downstairs an' keep him... distracted... fer a little while."

Mary's eyes widened at his words.

"Jack! No! I ain't beddin' tha' man!" she protested loudly. Jack clamped a hand over her mouth to quiet her.

"No one said anything about beddin' anyone, lass. Jus' keep him preoccupied so he doesn't notice me come in, s'all," Jack assured her quietly. He slowly removed his hand as she nodded slowly and she shot him a sharp look.

"Wha's in it fer me?"

"Me eternal gratitude," Jack offered hopefully. Mary rolled her eyes.

"Yer lucky I'm such a kind soul, Jack. If I based me decision on anythin' else...," she sent a pointed look below his belt, "... ye'd be a lost soul."

Choosing wisely to keep his mouth shut, Jack bared his teeth in a generous smile. Mary promptly sashayed back towards the bar as if the interaction had not occurred.

She was headed for the stairs when she ran smack into a man in the crowd who purposefully stood in her way. She opened her mouth to shout abusive obscenities when she looked up and saw that the man was a white wigged Navy officer. She instinctively batted her lashes furiously and placed an apologetic hand on his red jacketed forearm.

"Sorry 'bout tha', Officer...," she pressed for his name. He eyed her hand pointedly until she uncomfortably removed it.

"It's Commodore Norrington," he informed her, accenting his title heavily.

Mary tried to not show her suprise. A Commodore in Rhoding? What exact nerves had Jack trod on to get a Commodore to follow him to Rhoding? She slipped back into her seductive character.

"Can I... do somethin' fer ye, Commodore?" she purred suggestively.

"Yes. I'm looking for Jack Sparrow. If you could possibly tell me of his whereabouts, I'll consider not having you arrested for underage prostitution," he answered emotionlessly.

Mary had to give it to him. With her heavy makeup and incredibly revealing attire, no one had ever taken her for younger than eighteen. Props to the Commodore.

"I'm afraid I ain't seen the Captain 'round 'ere as of late. Wha's 'e gone an' done now?" she yawned, feigning disinterest. Jack would have a very heavy debt to pay if she was arrested for saving his sorry hide, she decided.

"Thankyou for your time," Norrington nodded briskly, leaving in further search of Jack. Mary breathed a sigh of relief before continuing up the stairs. At the top, she shot a glance to the bar below and noted that it was littered with several other Navy officers. She gulped nervously and kept walking down the hall upstairs.

Upon finding all other rooms empty, her target became the attic. She rapped loudly on the door.

"Oi, Sam! Someone wants ta see ye downstairs!" she shouted sharply. She heard a bit of banging around and a whimper. The door opened slightly ajar and Samuel's scarred face appeared.

"Tell 'im ta sod off, Mary. Ye should know better than ta jus' come up 'ere fer nothin'," he beseeched her before starting to close the door.

Mary promptly stuck out her high heeled shoe, preventing him from closing it fully. When he shot her a sharp questioning look, she shrugged.

"Says it's very urgent," she insisted curtly.

When they reached downstairs and found no one, Mary knew that if she did not find a good excuse, she was in trouble. Samuel was already notably erratic in his behavior, seeming to be waiting for the opportune moment to crack.

"Maybe 'e went outside," she suggested nervously. Samuel shot her a scowl of suspicion but went along with it anyway, as if he wanted to have a tangible reason to blow his top at her. They stepped outside into the cold night air, both looking for any sign of anyone wishing to discuss something 'very urgent' with Samuel.

No one showed.

"There's no one 'ere, Mary," Samuel growled.

"Fancy that, aye? Must've chickened out at the last minute," Mary shrugged. Over Samuel's shoulder, she spied Jack cautiously creeping up the steps of the porch, eyeing the two of them intently. Damn. He would walk right into a nest of the King's Finest. As Samuel started to turn around, she figured she could only save the pirate from one enemy at a time. She quickly turned Samuel's face back towards hers and met his lips with her own in a fiery kiss of intense passion. She cursed Jack silently a million times over as Samuel responded and his wandering hands lustfully explored her body.

Jack watched the display of feigned affection for a moment before walking into the bar, his kohl lined eyes finding the stairs at the back. He started towards them when something red caught his eye.

Several somethings red, really.

He froze in place when he realised that they were red jackets moving around the crowd. His eyes widened when he spotted a white wig bobbing above the heads of the other customers.

If it wasn't his old mate, Norrington.

Snapping back into action, he ducked low and made his way in the direction of the stairs hastily, avoiding the polished black boots he saw every now and then. He soon found himself at the end of the crowd and spotted the stairs and made a beeline for them, sending a look over his shoulder before proceeding up them.

Safe from Norrington for now upstairs, he turned his attention to finding Christina and searched the rooms he passed before coming to the one closed door at the end of the hallway. He tried the handle but it refused to budge.

It was then that a whimper sounded within the room. Jack felt the guilt return in full swing and reached for his revolver. Praying silently that the noise from downstairs would drown out the sound of the shot, he aimed for the lock and pulled the trigger.

The door swung wide open with impact from the bullet. No Christina.

Jack frowned, thinking that maybe she had already escaped. He carefully stepped inside the room, one boot at a time, waiting for a reaction of any sort.

Nothing.

How strange. He was sure he had heard Christi-

Abruptly, the woman pushed the door closed from her position behind it with her foot. All though at first stunned, Jack chuckled at the scene of her, looking incredibly on edge with an old flimsy trombone, which Jack presumed was her weapon of choice at that moment, held high over her head in poorly attempted threat.

Upon recognizing Jack, Christina let her weapon fall to the ground with a loud clatter and threw her arms around his neck. Jack chuckled more and returned the embrace. After a few more moments of this, however, he became fearful that she would not let go for she was holding onto him for dear life. He began to feel faint for lack of oxygen for the second time that night.

Gently, he pried her arms away and led her out of the room.

"Where did you go?" Christina sobbed, Jack catching her arms before she had a chance to throw them around his neck again.

"Got caught up," he brushed off the question briskly, knowing that it was a very weak attempt of hiding the terrible truth that he had risked her life for a ship. For now, he was relieved to find, she seemed willing to accept the answer and ask no more.

Jack paused, trying to remember what room he had passed had a window. He decided it would have to be a game of luck when heavy footsteps started up the stairs and he pulled Christina into the nearest room just as a flustered looking Samuel appeared.

His grunt of suprise was heard as Jack thanked his lucky stars that the room he had jumped into had a small window on the wall furthest from him.

A few minutes later, Jack and Christina jumped down from the God sent tree that gracefully spread it branches towards their exit. Jack cursed quietly when he saw the red coats drifting around outside and he hastily took Christina's arm, steering her towards the docks.

When he heard someone yelling behind them, he broke into a sprint, dragging Christina behind him at her protest. Followed by their shouting pursuers, they soon reached the Pearl. Jack could've shouted in joy when he found Gibbs ready at the helm. In the short moment it took for Christina and Jack to run up the gangplank, the Pearl heaved into motion.

"Was that the Commodore?" Christina demanded, short of breath.

"Aye," Jack confirmed, trying to recover himself.

"...Oh," Christina frowned, watching as the red jackets boarded the ship she recognized as the Dauntless and made sail after them. Not sure of what to question first with so many choices before her, she just stared incredulously at Jack who took his place at the helm.

"Where are we going?" she finally decided a suitable first question.

"Oh, don't worry yerself with little picky information like that. ye must be tired. Go get yerself some sleep," Jack suggested with concern that Christina doubted immensely. She strode towards him.

"Where are we going, Jack?" she asked again, more firmly.

Jack met her eyes for a moment before rolling his.

"Fine. We're goin' ta Port Royal," he informed her confidently.

"Port Royal?" Christina squeaked, "But, why?"

"T'demand clemency."

Christina blinked.

"Clemency?"

"Aye."

"Why?"

"Because I like ta keep me prominent enemies list down to one. An' since Samuel will now take that place, the Navy is goin' ta have to be bumped off, savvy?"

Christina shook her head.

"Go t'bed. It'll make sense in the mornin'," Jack told her.

"I doubt it with what I know of your kind of sense," Christina replied dryly, stifling a yawn.

She took his advice anyway, retreating to the comfort of her adopted cabin.

_Sorry it's a little rushed towards the end. I spose I could go an' blame it on artistic license an' wantin' tha reader t'get all caught up in tha rush... But really, let's face it, I'm a lazy git. Hope ev'ryone 'ad a good Easter. An' thanks fer all the reviews too. But, please think of the time yer wastin' reviewing when ye could be 'avin' fun. Think of yerselves. Please... If that ain't reverse physiology, I don't know what is._

Forensic Photographer711:_ Oh, the awesomeness. Sorry, just love the vocab! Aye, Jack came back. That could almost be considered sweet had he not done what he had done fer him to need ta come back, aye? All in one sittin'. Ye deserve a medal, luv. Ha ha, love the literal reference ta cliffies._

TheSiriusSparrow: _Well, allo luv. T'tell ye the truth, I ain't really THAT fussed about reviews anyways. S'nice t'know that people are enjoyin' the tale but. Glad the twist suprised ye. I must say, I hadn't really expected it to be that much of a huge shock when I was writin' it. I was wrong. An' TADA, Jack rescued Christina. They'll discuss it in the next chapter, it's jus' too late fer me t'do all the angry dialogue now... Thanks fer the reviews!_

MariAmber: _Aye, aye, miss! I savvy. Glad ye likin' the tale._

Karibbean: _I'm sure ye'll be pleased t'see that there ain't that much of a cliffie t'day. Mostly 'cause it's Easter an' I figured I'd be good an' not put ye through agony. Hope this was 'very, very soon' enough fer ye. Aye, cliffies get the reviewers. It's what we 'ave t'do, right? HA HA! Cheers._

Ailuro: _No favourite chapter fer chapter ten, aye? That's alright. I have the feeling ye won't 'ave too much good t'say 'bout this one either! Ye have t'forgive me. It's late, ye see. Me mind is off in the clouds an' me fingers aren't cooperatin'. Good fer nothing fingers. An' I almost fell off me chair laughin' at yer last comment! I 'spose I'll take it as a compliment, aye? Thanks fer yer all important reviews. I'll await yer next one t'this in intense apprehension. Ha._

_Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: Well, 'ello there, Siriusly Sirius Lily Black. I'm well an' yerself, lass? Aye, Jack's me fav'rite too, ye know? Such a fool yet so clever. Yer were incred'bly right 'bout there bein' nothin' ta worry 'bout. But one would expect that, seein' as yer a clever one 'n all. Now, ev'ryone's 'ope in Jack is restored. I doubt 'e would be much pleased t'know that it had been lost in the first place, aye. Me thinks 'e would 'ave 'imself some words ta say 'bout tha'..._


	12. A Meeting With The Governor

_**I just realised that I didn't put a disclaimer at the top of Chapter Eleven. No, this does not mean that at the time I wrote Chapter Eleven, I owned Pirates of the Caribbean. Neither does it mean that at the time that I wrote Chapter Eleven, I owned any characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow. It simply means that because this section is more pointless musings and unnecessary rantings than a disclaimer, I had nothing at the time I wrote Chapter Eleven to muse pointlessly or rant unnecessarily about. That's it. I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.**_

"So tell me again how you're planning to gain clemency?" Christina asked Jack as she followed closely behind him, casting a glance over her shoulder as the Dauntless also pulled into Port Royal's harbor.

Norrington and his men had chased them all the way from Rhoding to Port Royal. All four days and three nights it had taken to get there, the Dauntless could be seen following at a small distance behind the Pearl. The Sapphire sailed a little ways in front of the Pearl, captained by Ana Maria. Jack could've easily out sped Norrington but he got some kind of amusement out of giving him hope that he could catch up. He had spent most of his time chuckling at the helm, turning to glance and sometimes wave at the Commodore at the helm of his own ship every now and then. Although that had been all well and good, more interesting things had happened.

A certain conversation for one.

Finally, Christina had succeeded in dragging Jack away from the helm and cornered him in the Captain's Cabin, demanding he stay until she said he could leave. After a bit of him-being-Captain-and-not-being-willing-to-accept-orders-from-anyone-else-especially-a-woman talk, he gave in and sat on the edge of the bed, motioning for her to speak.

"Firstly, about the 'big misunderstanding'," Christina started, thinking it wisest to go through her list of subjects that needed talking about in chronological order.

Jack sighed loudly, hoping there was still a chance he could get out of the cabin without a long and uncomfortable interrogation.

"Aye?"

"...Well?" Christina prompted, interested in what he had to say about her being Barbossa's daughter.

"Well, what?" Jack frowned.

Christina let out a sound of frustration.

"Why aren't you willing to talk about anything of real importance? Do your conversation skills really only consist of rum, fighting and the sea?" she demanded.

"What d'ye want me t'say?" Jack asked.

"What do you want to say?" Christina replied diplomatically.

"What d'ye want fer me t'want t'say?"

"Jack!"

Jack looked heavenwards and took a long moment's pause before proceeding to answer her.

"Fine. Ye want t'know about what I think of ye bein' me betrayer's daughter? I hate it. I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns. If there was anything in my power I could do to reverse the fact then I would not hesitate fer a second t'do so. But I can't. It's somethin' I'm jus' goin' ta have t'square with. An' I realize that ye had no part in bein' his daughter but I can't promise it won't bother me fer a while still. Anythin' else?" Jack asked pleasantly.

Christina nodded and bit her lip. Jack nodded back, signaling for her to continue.

"You didn't leave anything on the Pearl, did you?" she asked softly.

Jack made no response for a moment, unsure of how to answer without appearing as a heartless git. He slouched over and inspected his boots.

"I was angry," he muttered.

"I know."

"Had I been in me right mind, I never would've considered doin' it."

"... You did it for a ship?"

There was no way he could dodge that one.

"Aye."

Silence.

He pulled as much courage together as he could manage and lifted his eyes to hers that welled with hurt.

"It was a stupid thing to do. I'll admit it. I shouldn't 'ave jus' left ye there with Sam. I shouldn't 'ave used ye as a object t'trade fer a ship... It was me plan all along t'come back fer ye though," he assured her although it didn't rub out the guilt of his actions.

She nodded. Jack sighed and stood, pacing the room.

"I'm a pirate, Christina. It's what I do. I don't go thinkin' about the different ways me actions could hurt or endanger those involved. That ain't part of the occupation."

Christina smirked and shook her head.

"Right, why should I expect more from you?" she asked.

Although the words matched with his description of a pirate, they still bothered Jack.

"Alright, so it was still a rotten thing fer anyone t'do. But ye 'ave t'understan-"

"Why can't you just leave it at an apology? We both know it was wrong. There's no need for you to go trying to cover your tracks," Christina told him bluntly.

Jack stopped and stared at her for a moment.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, very barely audible.

"What was that?" Christina prompted for him to repeat.

Jack smirked and flicked his hand, "I'm sorry."

"And when I'm ready, I'll forgive you. I can't now though," Christina admitted. Jack nodded with acceptance.

"Was there anythin' else ye wanted t'pester me incessantly about?" he inquired stirringly.

Christina shook her head. Jack left. End of conversation. They hadn't spoken much else but seemed to have a secret agreement to be civil towards eachother.

Back to the present, they fastened their pace as Christina waited for Jack's answer.

"I know yer secret an' I tell 'em so. I threaten ta let the secret out an', Bob's yer uncle, Fanny's yer aunt, they grant me clemency," Jack explained impatiently.

Ana Maria, who had arrived an hour or so earlier on the Sapphire with the other half of the crew caught up and Jack nodded briskly in greeting. Will and Elizabeth walked quickly beside Christina, just in front of the crew.

If this wasn't a parade that was guaranteed to catch the entire population of Port Royal's attention, Norrington and his men joined the race heading for the Governor's house. Young children playing in the street stopped and ran out of the way of the large group of people that had now broken into a unified sprint. Many double takes were taken of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow and the governor's niece, Christina Lacimore who had been reported kidnapped by the pirate.

"They're gainin' on us, Jack," Ana Maria puffed and the already fast pace of the group quickened all the more.

By the time they reached the Governor's steps leading to the front door, they were at a full sprint. Jack pounded loudly on the door. With it being so early in the morning, one could understand that it might have taken a while for the door to be answered. Not Jack. He banged louder and louder on the door until a rather disheveled looking butler with a curl of distaste at his lips upon recognizing Jack opened the door.

"Can I help you... Miss Lacimore? Mrs Turner?" the butler frowned as the group pushed inside past him.

"Hello, Geoffrey. Could you please call down my father?" Elizabeth requested with hurried politeness.

Mr Gibbs closed and locked the door behind him as Norrington's crew ran down the front garden path.

Geoffrey nodded, cast one more distasteful look at Jack and glided up the stairs, not affected by the contagious hurry that everyone else was in.

"Yer haste would be much appreciated, Geoff," Jack told him, his words having no notable effect.

A short moment later, a sharp rapping sounded on the door and another butler appeared.

"No need ta be answerin' that, mate," Jack assured him, standing in his way.

"It is part of my job description to do so, Mr Sparrow, so if you please," the butler insisted pointedly, motioning for him to step aside.

"Uh, I relieve you of that particular aspect of your job for a few moments, Edward," Christina told him. He nodded resignedly and Jack grinned in triumph as more banging was heard.

There was an uncomfortable silence, save for the incessant pounding on the door, as the group impatiently awaited the Governor's arrival. Elizabeth smoothed her dress. Will rubbed his brow. Christina raked a worried hand through her hair. Ana Maria inspected her nails. Mr Gibbs stared at the ceiling. Jack searched the room for anything he could easily lift without being too dramatic about it. Finally, when all were worried that the Commodore would blow the door down with cannon fire, the Governor appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Christina! Elizabeth!" he exclaimed in relief as he rushed down the stairs and pulled each one into a tight embrace. He looked fiercely at Jack, "What are you doing here? Who's at the door?"

"No one," Elizabeth assured him, placing a hand on his forearm.

He brushed off her attempt to get him to ignore the knocking and gestured for Edward to open the door. Edward shot an apologetic look at Elizabeth before turning the handle. Norrington and his men rushed in and surrounded Jack and his crew promptly.

"Nice t'see ye again too, mate," Jack smiled at Norrington who had the sharp of his gun trained on Jack's throat.

"Commodore Norrington, please escort Mr Sparrow and his men to the gallows," the Governor commanded, a task that all knew Norrington would be none too displeased to carry out. Ana Maria rolled her eyes at the fact that once again, her being a woman had been overlooked.

"You can't!" Christina cried and Jack nodded vigorously.

Norrington, the Governor and the butlers stared incredulously at her.

"He kidnapped you, Christina. I assure you we can," the Commodore told her confidently as he motioned for his captives to be clasped in irons.

"What do you mean, Christina?" the Governor asked pressingly.

"She means, Governor, that I know th'secret," Jack answered as his hands were bound.

The Governor's brow creased in a frown.

"And which secret are you referring to, Mr Sparrow?" Norrington asked coldly.

"Ye mean there's more than one?" Jack replied lightly, sobering at the Commodore's harsh glare, "I mean the one of yer dearest Christina havin' pirate blood in 'er."

There was a shocked silence followed by the snickering and chuckling of the red coats and Norrington.

"Oh, that one. You can tell us more about it on the way, Mr Sparrow," the Commodore said as he proceeded to lead the group away.

"Stop," the Governor commanded. Norrington turned back in suprise.

"How did you find out, Mr Sparrow?" Governor Swann inquired, adding even more to the suprise of the Commodore.

"I saw it in a dream," Jack told him, smirking.

"Again, how did you find out?"

"Got those two drunk," Jack gestured with his hands still bound in irons at Will and Elizabeth, "Didn't need t'use all of me genius fer that one."

Will and Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably.

"Are you suggesting that there is some truth to this pirate's words, Governor?" Norrington asked disbelievingly. Jack shot him a dirty look.

The Governor rubbed his temples, at a loss as to what to do in the situation he found himself in.

"Unhand them," he sighed. Reluctantly, Norrington nodded at his men to obey the command. Jack grinned at him as the irons came off his wrists.

"Please come in and sit down," the Governor offered, lifting his hand towards the sitting room. Norrington commanded his men to wait outside and Jack requested his crew do the same. Christina smirked as she tried to imagine the chatting between the two that would happen as they waited.

Once the Governor, Norrington, Will and Elizabeth, Christina and Jack were seated comfortably and all had been explained to a shocked Commodore who had had no idea of Christina's pirate parent, Jack voiced his demands.

"I want clemency," he informed bluntly.

"No," the Governor turned down just as bluntly.

Jack frowned.

"What are ye goin' ta offer me then?"

"Anything else. Not clemency."

"How about the Navy's top protection fer fifty years?"

"No."

"Ye said anything else!"

"Not the Navy's protection. Anything but clemency and the Navy's services."

"... All of yer fleets."

"No."

Exasperation relaxed Jack's features, "I know. A measly loaf of bread will do me fine."

Hope lit up the Governor's face, "Really?"

"No," Jack smirked, mimicking the Governor.

"Mr Sparrow, please come up with a suitable price for your silence on the matter," Governor Swann asked impatiently.

"Alright, 'ere's me terms. I want full clemency. None of this evadin' Navy officers business anymore. Especially that one," Jack pointed at Norrington who frowned, "...An' a new hat. A nice one. Then I shall not tell a soul of Christina's pirate heritage."

"No."

Jack rolled his eyes, "So, what do you suggest, Governor?"

"I shall let you leave Port Royal this once. But a Navy fleet shall set after you tomorrow."

"No," Jack shook his head.

"Father, please just give him clemency," Elizabeth sighed in pleading, growing weary of the argument between the two stubborn men.

"An' the hat," Jack reminded.

Christina and Will nodded in agreement and Norrington shook his head in disgust that the Governor could possibly consider such a hideous idea.

The Governor thought for a long, long time. Everyone else shifted impatiently in silence. Finally, the man lifted his head and eyed Jack.

"Fine. You have clemency."

Jack grinned. Norrington looked like he was going to be sick.

"Pleasure doin' business with ye, Governor," Jack smiled, extending his hand.

"Pleasure being blackmailed by you, Mr Sparrow," the Governor sighed bitterly as Elizabeth kissed his cheek.

"How long are you planning on being in Port Royal?" he asked Jack, obviously hoping for a small time period answer.

"A few weeks, most likely. Then, I thought we might move on t'Tortuga," Jack grinned.

"Tortuga, finally?" Christina cried in delight.

"You're not going with him, Christina. You're home now," the Commodore stated as though it was obvious.

Christina's face fell. He was right. It had never really occurred to her when they were coming back to Port Royal that she was actually coming back home. It seemed that the same had not dawned on Jack either until now as he grin wavered.

The Governor frowned at this.

"I best be tellin' me crew what's happenin' then," Jack said quickly, standing and heading for the door.

Christina jumped up, very unsubtly not wanting him to leave.

"You're just going?" she asked and Jack smirked.

"Don't look so worried, luv. I'll be back tomorrow, most likely. Not feeling cruel enough t'leave ye without me all important presence," he said with mock almightiness.

She rolled her eyes as he closed the door behind him, a smile playing at her lips.

The smile faded when she saw Norrington standing behind her in the reflection of the window.

"I just wanted you to know that even though you're of less than favorable bloodlines, the plans for the wedding will still go through as soon as they can get organized," the Commodore assured her. The 'assurance' unsettled her but she turned to smile weakly with gratitude she didn't feel.

He nodded and left.

_Sorry it's taken a little whiles t'update. Things t'do, people t'see, ye know tha story. Not many reviews ta reply to this time around..._

SawCyn-WroteSin: _Seems Christina let Jack off easy, aye? I just couldn't write that scene with Jack bein' punched in the nose fer some reason. Maybe she'll get real drunk in the next chapter an' he'll get a sock in the nose then... Cheers, I'm glad he's in character!_

Karibbean: _'Allo, luv! Aye, quite a few obstacles fer 'im ta conquer in the last chapter. As there should be, too. Serves him right fer gettin' 'er in that mess in the first place, aye? An' sorry it took so bloody long._

Forensic Photographer711: _Kewlness, aye? AND awesomeness, aye? I'm pleased that ye liked it! Well, it's a shame but the only medal I got is one o' those cursed medallions. Seems we'll 'ave ta pass on yer award. Sorry fer the inconvenience. Hope ye liked this one too._

TheSiriusSparrow: _Well, I doubt that this is what ye call updatin' soon. Aye, I 'ave ta decide wha' is gonna become of this Sam villain. Maybe 'e can jus' fade into the background... I don't know. As fer the plot developin', I hope it is, I don't really know about that either! Thanks fer reviewin'._


	13. Another Drunken, Seductive Woman

_**I like to think of meself as reasonably, notably intelligent. Most people do, I s'pose. That's why we watch the news so we don't look like fools when it comes t'conversations about current events. That's why we read books we may or may not enjoy so that we have sources t'draw from fer uncomfortable silences. But, unfortunately, I've been startin' t'doubt me notable intelligence with time. The more ye know, the more ye don't know. That's what they say. So, after I finish typin' this up, I'm goin' ta sit down an' watch a full hour of all of the news channels I can find an' read some Shakespeare, I reckon... Nay, still don't own Pirates of the Caribbean.**_

When it's depressing for your eyes to open in the morning, you are not in a very good place, Christina decided glumly as she pulled herself out of bed. She had had dinner with the Commodore last night, very obviously against her wishes. She had cursed herself silently a thousand times during the dinner for being to polite, pretending to listen to Norrington list off the notable triumphs the Navy had had while she had been gone.

All very interesting, to be sure.

She had been rejoicing inwardly when he had let her retreat back home and sleep, not without an awkward kiss that made her cringe to think about it even now as she pulled on a night robe.

She prepared her own breakfast, much to the cook's disgrace, and sat to it eat alone as it was late in the morning and everyone else had eaten already before continuing with their busy days. She heard a knock on the door and Geoffrey scuttled past to answer it. After a few minutes of no one's arrival being announced, Christina stood and made her way to the parlor, an involuntary grin pulling at her lips when she spotted Jack trying to convince Geoffrey that he was in fact allowed to enter the house.

"I'm not a criminal anymore. Ye have t'let me in," Jack was telling the hesitant butler.

"I have not been told of any change in your being a criminal, Mr Sparrow. I must insist that you leave," Geoffrey requested coolly.

"Do I look like a man tha' would lie t'ye, Geoff?" Jack asked with mock innocence.

Geoffrey arched a brow in response and Jack lowered his.

"You can let him in, Geoffrey," Christina told him and both turned to look at her. Geoffrey immediately stepped aside and Jack grinned as he entered.

"Ye should really consider getting more helpful help, luv. It's not very becomin' t'be refused entry as though yer some common criminal," he smirked with mock disdain.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. We've been meaning to get rid of the old sod for some time," Christina nodded snootily back, attracting a glare from Geoffrey as he turned on his heel and left. Christina led Jack into the dining room.

"Have you had breakfast?" she asked lightly.

"It's lunchtime, luv," Jack informed her smilingly.

Christina lifted her brows in suprise, "Really? Are you here for lunch then?"

"Why is it that ye assume I'm here for food?"

"The only other thing would be rum and surely you know that you would not find a drop of it in this house."

Jack smirked, "Actually, I'm here to cordially invite you to a night of celebration on the Black Pearl."

"What are you celebrating?"

"Me clemency, 'course. Are ye comin'?"

"'Course I am," Christina mocked his casual language. There was a knock at the door and Geoffrey scuttled past to answer it. A few seconds later, the Commodore appeared in the doorway of the dining room.

"Now, how is it that ye got in without a fight, mate?" Jack shook his head with mock disdain for the man.

Norrington ignored him, turning to Christina, "Would you like to join me for lunch, Christina?"

She smiled a smile that Jack knew was forced and he jumped in.

"Actually, mate, it seems I beat ye t'the chase. I invited the lass t'lunch but a minute ago. Ye'll have t'book her fer tomorrow," Jack shrugged apologetically.

Norrington curled his lip in distaste for the pirate and looked at Christina quizzically, "Is this so?"

"Apart from the booking part," she nodded.

"Oh... I shall see you tomorrow then, I suppose," the Commodore said with obvious disappointment.

"Ye were goin' t'marry that man?" Jack asked in disbelief when he had left.

"Am. I am marrying that man," Christina corrected sadly.

"Why would ye do that, luv?" Jack frowned.

"Jack, he knows the secret and he's still willing to marry me. How much more decent than that can you get?"

"That's 'cause he can't get anyone else, lass. Doesn't that tell ye anythin'?" Jack asked pressingly.

Christina brushed the subject off, "I believe you asked me to lunch, Mr Sparrow?"

It was a few hours before she returned back home, light at heart. Elizabeth and Will were there waiting for her and preparing for the party that night. Christina could not help but to notice a little tension between the two.

A little tension being a big understatement.

"Looking forward to the party?" Christina asked Elizabeth lightly as they changed.

"Of course she is. It's on the Pearl," Will answered testily from the next room.

"Anything to get out of the house," Elizabeth spat loud enough for him to hear.

Christina listened to the exchange with worry etching her features, "Liz, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that my husband wants me to become a miserable, opinionless, submissive housewife who cleans, washes and pops out children once in a while," Elizabeth replied loudly.

"I said nothing of the sort, Elizabeth!" Will roared, storming into the room.

"Really? That's what I remember hearing, William!" Elizabeth grit. Both parties seemed to forget that Christina was still in the room.

"I said that it might be nice to settle down and have some children and leave the Pearl to Jack!" Will cried defensively.

"Exactly! You want me to become a miserable, opinionless, submissive housewife who pops-"

"How does settling down mean you have to be a miserable housewife?" Will argued, cutting his wife off. Not a good idea.

"How can it not! You're saying the same thing as I am, just in men's terms!" Elizabeth snarled.

"Why must it always come down to me being a man and that making me an insensitive fool?" Will complained accusingly.

Christina chose to leave the happily married couple to their happy conversation and slipped quietly out of the room unnoticed.

Geoffrey met her in the hall coming the opposite way.

"Oh, Miss Lacimore, Commodore Norrington is downstairs to see you," he told her apologetically. She groaned and headed for the dreaded parlor where the dreaded Commodore would be waiting.

"Hello, Christina," Norrington greeted when he spotted her stepping down the stairs. He frowned at seeing she was already dressed up for going out.

"Hello, James. Fancy seeing you here. Seeing that I saw you here a few hours ago," Christina replied with barely hidden impatience.

"Yes, well, I thought that since we couldn't have lunch together, we might have dinner tonight," he smiled. Christina bit her lip and the smile faded.

"Actually, James, I already have plans. With Jack," she informed him softly.

Trying not to show his suprised disdain for the pirate mentioned, he nodded, "With Sparrow? But did you not have lunch with him today?"

"Yes. But there's a party on the Black Pearl tonight. Maybe tomorrow," she shrugged noncommittally.

The Commodore nodded with acceptance and hovered a little while, obviously wanting to say something.

"Christina,... be careful with Sparrow. I don't want to see you hurt."

Christina knew that would be the most that this man would ever open up. And she felt gratitude to him for him taking the effort to open up to her if only very slightly. She smiled softly and nodded and he left. She rolled her eyes at the sound of Will and Elizabeth's raised voices from upstairs and checked the time on the grandfather clock in the hall.

"Time to go!" she called loudly and after a little more yelling, the couple appeared and made their way separately down the stairs and separately out the door. Christina shot a look heavenward before following after them.

An hour into the party, everyone on the Pearl was very merry, very loud and very drunk. Somehow, Jack had found all of the suprisingly large population of pirates on Port Royal that weren't locked up and, presently, the Pearl seemed to float a little lower in the water with her load.

Jack had bought out every tavern in town, a five hundred year life supply of rum on the side of the deck. Will and Elizabeth stayed on opposite sides of the ship without fail. They were two of the only three people on board who did not consider piracy their primary occupation, the third being Christina though no one seemed to notice.

Too happy or too drunk depending on your moral stance.

The large group of pirates danced in a sad excuse for a circle, Jack and Mr Gibbs singing at the top of their lungs in the middle as they jigged and fought to keep their rum in their mugs and not on the deck.

Christina and Elizabeth watched from the side of the deck that Will wasn't on, sipping from their own mugs occasionally.

"Bloody pi'ates," Elizabeth hiccuped and Christina shot her a sideways look.

"Don' y'think y've 'ad enough f'one night, Liz?" Christina slurred.

"Yes, I was jus' thinkin' th'same thing, Chris. We mus' be cousins or somethin'," Elizabeth replied sarcastically.

Debating whether or not to stop her friend from drinking herself into oblivion, Christina finally shrugged and let the situation take care of itself. Elizabeth chugged down the remainder of her rum then stared at the bottom of her empty mug.

"'O drank all m'rum?" she mused and Christina snorted. Elizabeth threw the mug over her shoulder into the water below and went in search of more alcohol. Christina decided too late that she should stop her and when she started after her, she found that she could not find her. She slumped her shoulders in defeat but her face lit up when she saw Jack coming her way through the crowd.

He grinned widely upon seeing her barely able to stand state.

"Ye've been drinkin', luv?" he asked in a mockingly patronizing tone.

She shook her head and almost fell over in the process. Jack helped her right herself.

"D'ye know how t'play cards, Christina?" he asked casually as he led her towards a turned over barrel serving a table with a deck of cards on the top.

"Doesn't everyone?" she chuckled as he sat her down on a crate and pulled one up for himself. The other teams were Mr Gibbs and Ana Maria, an odd match if there ever was one, and a random Hispanic looking pirate and his lover who he insisted on kissing passionately every ten seconds.

Fifteen minutes later, it was understandable that Jack would regret his choice of partner who read out his cards by accident at least nine times and put down his good cards while he wasn't looking. Miraculously, he still managed to pull money out of everyone's pockets and ended the game with gain to be proud of.

"Well done, Christina. You didn't lose me the game," he congratulated and she grinned.

"Wha' can I say? M'card playin' skills are infinite," she shrugged. They halved the money and Jack left her for a moment to get some rum.

On the way he saw a very depressed looking Elizabeth sitting on an overturned crate with her head in her hands. He had noticed that she and Will had not been seen together the entire night and he assumed they must of had a spat. Deciding to play the pep talker out of the goodness in his heart, he swayed over and sat on the crate beside her.

"Wha's wrong, luv?" he asked with concern.

She lifted her head and he saw that tears glistened in her honey eyes. She was sniffling so he searched his person for anything he could offer her as a handkerchief. Turning up with nothing, he ruefully untied the bandana from his head and handed it to her, grimacing as she nodded in thanks and blew her nose into it. She offered it back but he shook his head and lifted his hands in surrender at the now offending bandana.

"Jack, woul' it make me a terrible person if I seduced some random pi'ate t'night?" she slurred sadly. Jack lowered his brows.

"A terrible person? I doubt it, Elizabeth. But I think ye would have a hard time jus' seducin' anyone with yer backgroun'," he told her. Although the comment had not meant to be offensive, she took it to heart. Anger flickered in her eyes before her expression changed to one that Jack could not remember seeing on her face before. An expression that made him very uncomfortable as she leaned closer to him.

"I'll 'ave y'know that I can be a _very _seductive woman, Jack," she purred.

Jack smiled nervously, "An' I 'ave no doubt on that, Elizabeth. But I would prefer it if yer amazing seductive abilities were not focused on me as a target."

Elizabeth pouted with disappointment at his words before her her eyes brightened with what Jack already knew would not be a very bright idea.

"Maybe, if y'gave me a chance, I coul' change y'mind," she whispered. Jack jumped straight off his crate when she placed a suggestive hand on his thigh.

"What the bleedin' 'ell are ye doin', woman?" he yelped as quietly as he could, not forgetting that Will was on the other side of the deck. Elizabeth's eyes widened with shock at the effect of her gesture of affection had taken on the pirate usually so open to such things.

"Wassa matter?" she asked innocently.

"What's the matter? What's the matter? The matter, Elizabeth, is that you are too drunk fer either of our good an' you and Will 'avin' a spat is no reason fer ye t'go an' try t'seduce some poor unsuspectin' soul," Jack told her firmly.

She rolled her eyes and Jack frowned. Standing up, she stepped close so that he could smell the rum on her breath. He lifted his eyes heavenward, praying silently, fervently, that rapture would take place at the present moment.

"Listen 'ere, mighty 'n' high-" Elizabeth started loudly.

"High an' mighty," Jack corrected apologetically and she gave a fierce scowl.

"If Will an' I 'ad a spat, it's none of y'concern. 'Cause Will an' I's business is our own, no one else's. An' if I happen t'want t'seduce some random, then it's none of y'concern neither," Elizabeth grit, poking him in the chest with each syllable of her drunken lecture.

"Ye made it me concern when ye tried t'seduce me, ye minx!" Jack hissed after her as she stumbled away.

Nothing good could come of this, Jack knew as he watched her attempt to start an intelligent conversation with the mast which she had clumsily run into. An hour saw him corrected. Something good had come of Elizabeth's intoxicated state.

The crew had entertainment.

Jack could only thank his lucky stars that Will had decided to go home early, asking him to make sure that his wife got home safely. The pirate cringed as he watched Elizabeth dance sensually to music only she heard, a half empty rum bottle in one hand and her skirts hitched up high above her knee in the other. The crew cheered and whistled and she fed off their encouragement, rubbing her back against an uncomfortable looking Mr Gibbs who shot Jack a pleading look.

Taking a deep breath, Jack strode purposefully toward Elizabeth, who until now, he would never have considered calling a strumpet. Clearing his throat, he tapped the woman on the shoulder and she spun around, question written on her features. She grinned when she recognized two Jacks before her.

"Fin'lly came 'round, did y'Jack?" she asked as she put an arm around his neck. Pleased at no longer being the focus of Elizabeth's attention, Mr Gibbs ducked away without a word. Jack pried himself out of the woman's grasp and snatched her rum bottle away, throwing it overboard. He then turned to glare fiercely at his crew.

"Ye should all be ashamed of yeselves! She's a married woman, fer God's sake! The party's over!" Jack barked. With very vocal disappointment, Elizabeth's audience dispersed grudgingly.

Seeing that her attention payers were no longer paying attention, Elizabeth turned on Jack. Too quickly, resulting in her almost toppling over and relying on him to keep her on her feet. As he held her up, she gazed intently at him.

"Y'really are a good man, Jack."

Jack lifted his brows and was about to correct her on the matter when she fell limp in his arms. He grunted as he fought to keep her from falling to the ground and her head flopped loosely back. Grumbling something about his loyalties to Will not being worth the abuse he received from his wife, he lifted Elizabeth up over his shoulder and carried her the half mile to their house.

When he returned, he found Christina sitting in the middle of the deck and the dancing pirates, fighting to stay awake.

"Ye alright, luv?" he asked warily over the noise of everyone else on the Pearl, not really wanting to have to deal with another drunken, seductive woman. He lowered his brows at that thought. Since when was he unwilling to deal with a drunken, seductive woman?

She lifted her head and smiled hazily, "I'm drunk."

Jack's lips twitched into a smile at this. At least this one was very aware of her intoxication. He walked to her and helped her to her clumsy feet. She fell against him and giggled, making him chuckle.

"Oh, I thought ye were only jokin' about bein' drunk," he told her teasingly.

She finally fixed him with a serious and pondering look. He lifted his brows in expectation.

"Jack?"

"Aye."

"D'ye find me attractive?"

Jack sighed inwardly. Seems he would have to deal with another drunken, seductive woman.

_Well, I'm off. Ha. Sorry, it was jus' too long t'put in one chapter. So ye'll jus' 'ave ta wait, I 'spose. Wish I could feel more sympathetic._

Karibbean: _Aye, I liked tha' conversation too, mate! An' Jack's smart arse comment about gettin' Will an' Elizabeth drunk was just as fun t'write as it was t'read, I assure ye! An' by 'lift' I did mean 'steal'. Sorry fer the confusion. It's good t'know someone's laughin', luv._

MariAmber: _I'm glad it's fun fer ye t'read an' I 'ope this update was soon enough fer ye, aye?_

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Well, 'ello, luv. Aye, Jack likes women. Can't blame 'im really. We are stunning creatures. An' yes, it don' take no genius t'know that Jack an' Chris 'ave the hots fer eachother. But if they get t'gether is another matter... Shall 'ave t'see wha' I can talk 'em into fer the next chapter..._

SawCyn-WroteSin: _Nay, Jack shoul've got cut down a lil shorter. As fer his hat fetish, I believe ye may be onto somethin', luv. It definately sounds like it 'as a lot t'do with his charm. An' poor poor Commodore Norrington... I do 'ave plans fer 'im but I can't disclose them at this moment in time..._

Ailuro: _Well, 'ello, 'ello! A large bounty on ye head, aye? That must be a drag. Glad ye liked the different characters' ways of dealin' with the uncomfortable situation. I 'specially liked Jack's idea! An' I could see ye not really enjoyin' chapter 11 but I'm glad ye liked chapter 12 an' I hope ye'll like this one too. It's long, I know._


	14. Let My People Go

_**Shock, horror, no pearls of wisdom fer ye this chapter. I know, I know, ye are thoroughly distraught an' disappointed an' feel there's a small chance ye may not be able t'go on in life. Fear not... Now t'think of it, I would most definately be in fear if I were ye. What 'ave ye got ta live fer if not me incredible opening paragraph? What is goin' t'become of yer life if ye cannot quote me quirky humor and murmuring of truth? Woe is you, indeed. An' me 'cause I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. I feel ye pain, luv.**_

"Do I find ye attractive?" Jack repeated, stunned at the shock question.

Christina nodded. It was a nod that sent a tress of soft copper hair from behind her ear into her striking emerald, if a little glazed now with drunkenness, eyes that she kept trained on his. Her perfectly shaped rose colored lips opened to take back the question but froze before her gentle voice could push a word through them. In the silence, her cheeks turned a soft pink that made Jack's stomach flip.

Yes, he found her attractive. He gulped and found his bearings, putting on a mockingly overly charming air.

"Christina, I think ye may be the most beautiful woman t'walk this world," he told her jokingly.

She smiled, struggling to stand still as the ship seemed to sway violently beneath her and the alcohol started to make a playground of her hazy mind. Looking at her intently, Jack debated within himself. Upon reaching his decision, he cast a look around at the Pearl's occupants before abruptly reaching out and grabbing Christina's had and leading her below decks, an urgency in his swaying steps.

Christina's giggle as she almost tripped over a passed out unknown was broken by a loud hiccup, making her giggle all the more.

"Where're ye takin' me?" she whispered slurringly and none too quietly at the back of Jack's head.

"Away from the drunkards on me ship," Jack answered gruffly.

"Y'mean the _other_ drunkards," Christina corrected with a lifted finger.

"Aye," Jack chuckled as they made a sharp turn.

"Don't go gettin' us lost now, Cap'n," Christina hiccuped.

"Although it would be rather difficult t'get us lost on me own ship, I shall take ye warnin' into serious account," Jack assured her.

"I get the feelin' I'm bein' mocked," Christina was saying before Jack stopped suddenly and pressed her against the wall. She hiccuped in shock before grinning in delight at Jack's crooked smile.

"Is it usual procedure t'drag a lady 'alf way around the ship in order t'seduce her?" she smirked as he leaned closer.

"Nay, only the especially drunk ones," Jack replied before his parted lips found hers.

Christina responded eagerly despite the twinge of nervousness that voiced itself over the roar of alcohol that clouded her head. As Jack's mouth hungrily searched her own, she became slightly aware of his wandering hands, his left inching down her back and his right sliding up her ribcage. Her mind, racing to the best of it's ability in it's intoxicated state, told her repeatedly to pull back but her body refused to oblige. Even when his enthusiastic fingers started untying the front of her dress, she only lowered her lips to his neck, beckoning him to continue.

But when she heard a door handle being turned, her ears pricked up and she lifted her head to find the source. She saw Jack's outstretched hand on the open door beside them. He smiled sheepishly when she turned to him with wide eyes. Her eyes narrowed and he now widened his innocently.

"Mr Sparrow, wha' d'ye think y'are doin'?" she demanded with laughter threatening to invade her voice.

"I think I was openin' the door t'this cabin, luv," Jack mused, watching her carefully to gauge her reaction as being positive or negative. She started retying her dress.

Negative.

"D'you honestly think of me as bein' that easy t'seduce, Jack?" she asked accusingly.

"Nay, luv! I just thought that since... this," he pointed between the two of them, "was going so well, we might... take it somewhere more private."

Christina arched a brow as she finished lacing up her dress. Jack tried not to show his lament at all his work ruined. Waiting for him to offer any other excuses, which of course he had none, Christina rolled her eyes and stalked away as purposefully as she could without falling over back upstairs.

Jack took a moment to pity himself before following after her, boots dragging. He frowned at the silence on the deck that puzzled her as much as it did him. Both standing in the middle of the deck, they searched for any of the pirates that had been drinking, singing and dancing but several minutes before where they stood in silence now.

"...Where'd ev'rybody go?" Jack asked finally although he knew Christina would have no answer. Christina made no response.

"Captain Sparrow! Captain Sparrow!"

Jack and Christina turned to see two young boys running up the gangplank towards them. When the boys reached them, they hunched over, hands on their knees to recover their breath. Jack lowered his brows.

"Now, did I give either of ye permiss'n t'be on me ship, lads?" he inquired, puzzled.

One of them looked up and shook his head.

"What be ye doin' on me ship then?" Jack pressed, rolling his eyes.

"They took them," the boy heaved.

"All of them," the other boy added.

"Who took who?" Christina asked.

"Commodore Norrington...," the first boy started.

"...Took your crew... and everyone else," the second boy finished.

Jack and Christina looked at eachother in suprise.

"Not good," Jack commented lamentingly. Christina nodded in agreement.

"Are ye sure?" Jack checked, turning back to the boys. The boys nodded.

Jack turned back to Christina, "Yer fiancée locked me men up!"

Christina widened her eyes innocently, "S'not m'fault!" Turning back to the boys, they both nodded in gratitude and Jack flicked them a couple of gold coins for their troubles. Pleased, the boys ran off, eager to tell their friends that they had met the famous Captain Jack Sparrow.

"We 'ave t'go get them," Jack decided, not waiting for a response from Christina before he swaggered on his way. Christina sighed and followed shortly after.

There was absolute chaos in the jail. Jack's crew added to the Port Royal pirates made for quite a racket when locked up against their will. Christina could've almost found it amusing if it actually had been.

"Jack!" Ana Maria cried when she spotted him, starting up pleading, abuse and other shouting from the rest of the pirates. The guards who had not heard Jack and Christina slip down above all of the noise everyone else was making, jumped up and instantly trained their rifles on the intruding two.

"What do you two think you're doing down here? This jail is off limits to civilians," guard number one informed snappishly. Jack lifted his brows in suprise. He was in fact a civilian now and had no clever retort to offer.

"... Me deepest apologies, I'm new t'bein' a civilian," he told them, flicking the air with his hand.

"Wha' were these people arrested for?" Christina demanded from behind him.

"Disruptive behavior and ...piracy," guard number two read out from a piece of paper on the desk nearby. Right, Jack had forgotten. He had clemency, not his crew and everyone else.

"Which means that the gallows are going to be busy tomorrow morning," guard number one smiled smugly. Jack and Christina scowled at him and a further uproar was heard from the cells.

"Don't think they appreciated that, mate," Jack told the guard who only smirked.

"I demand y'release them all righ' now," Christina grit. The two guards smartened up in accordance with who was talking to them.

"Sorry, Miss Lacimore. We can't release the prisoners," guard number two apologized.

"Why not?" Christina inquired impatiently.

"Well, because we are not permitted to do so, Miss Lacimore," guard number one answered nervously.

"So 'o _can _release 'em?" Christina pressed.

"Oh, only one person can release these prisoners, miss," guard number two replied unhelpfully.

"She didn't ask how bloody many people could release them, ye git. Who can release them?" Jack asked again, exasperated.

The guards shared a look before sighing in unison, "The Commodore." Somehow, Christina had known to expect that but it still infuriated her. Jack smirked bitterly.

"Where's the Com'dore righ' now?" Christina inquired resignedly.

"At home, of course. It's three in the morning," guard number two informed them matter of factly.

"We'll be back," Christina told the prisoners as she grabbed Jack's arm and led him up the stairs. It wasn't long before they were banging down Norrington's front door. A butler soon opened it warily and they pushed their way in. Deciding not to wait for the butler to make their presence known, Christina stood at the foot of the stairs and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"James! We need t' talk t' y'right now!"

Jack shot her a look before cupping his hands around his own mouth, "Jimmy! I'm down 'ere too so don't ferget yer wig!"

A few minutes later, a disheveled looking Commodore, with his wig hastily and messily thrown on his head, made his sleepy way down the stairs. His eyes lit up when he spotted Christina, swaying in the parlor.

"Christina, I was going to to tell you tomorrow but since you're here I might as well tell you now. The wedding has been set for this Saturday," he informed her happily, ignoring Jack.

Christina frowned, "Bu' it's We'sday."

"We've got good planners. Everything will be ready, I assure you," he smiled.

"Look, we've got much more i'portant thin's t'talk 'bout," Christina slurred.

Now it was the Commodore's turn to frown, "Christina, are you drunk?"

Christina shook her head violently, resulting in her having to grasp Jack's arm to stop herself from falling onto the marble floor beneath their feet. She giggled. The Commodore turned to Jack accusingly.

"You got my fiancée drunk?"

"She got 'erself drunk, Jimmy," Jack replied smirkingly.

"It's Commodore Norrington, Mr Sparrow," the Commodore corrected testily.

"But I'm a civilian now, Jimmy," Jack reminded him.

"Your rights as a civilian only reach so far, Mr Sparrow. It's Commodore Norrington," the Commodore insisted. Jack did a mock salute as Christina finally recovered from her near fall.

"James. Y'arrested his crew," she informed her fiancée urgently.

"I am full aware of that, Christina," Norrington sighed, annoyed that she had allowed herself to become so intoxicated.

"Y'have t'let 'em go!" she cried.

"And why is that? Even if Mr Sparrow's clemency did in someway rub off on his crew, they were still behaving in a disruptive manner-"

"Please rel'se 'em," Christina changed tacks, pouting madly.

The Commodore arched a brow, "What is it to you anyway, Christina?"

"They're Jack's crew!" she replied.

"And?"

Christina hesitated. He had a point.

"I woul' jus' really really really appreciate it if y'released his men... an' the other pi'ates," Christina added at the pointedly look she received from Jack.

Norrington sighed, starting to give in. Christina's eyes lit up as Jack's did.

"David!" the Commodore called resignedly. The butler appeared, looking at his employer expectantly.

"Please send word to the jail that the pirates that were arrested tonight are all to be released."

"Yes, sir."

Christina let out a yelp of joy and Jack grinned widely.

"Well, I believe our work 'ere is done. If ye'll excuse us, Commodore Norrington," Jack remembered the man's title as he offered Christina his arm.

"You're not taking her with you, Mr Sparrow," the Commodore informed him warningly, "My fiancée does not need to be further intoxicated with a lot of pirates."

Jack looked at him with raised brows, "I don't think it's a question of what she _needs_."

The Commodore eyed the two suspiciously, "Christina, would you please tell Mr Sparrow that you would not like to accompany him back to the Black Pearl?"

"James, don' be silly. I'll see you t'morrow," she replied lightly.

"I'm not going to let you leave with this pirate, Christina. Call me insane but I would rather not see you dead in some gutter tomorrow," the Commodore insisted icily.

Jack, infuriated by the insinuation that he could not or would not take care of Christina, eyed the Commodore tauntingly.

"Oh, c'mon, Commodore. The party will jus' continue like it did before we were so rudely interrupted. Ye know, dancin', singin', a 'lil drinkin maybe. The only difference'll be that the steamy encounter I 'ad the pleasure of sharin' with yer fiancée may evolve a 'lil further," he smirked, flicking the air casually with his hand, "S'all."

Christina's eyes widened with horror and Norrington frowned, not sure if the pirate had actually said what he thought he had said.

"If you'll excuse us, James," Christina grit furiously, all traces of her slur dissipated as she grabbed Jack's arm and dragged him outside.

"What are you doing?" she cried once they were outside.

"Lettin' yer fiancée that there's nothin' t'worry about," Jack chuckled.

"Jack, that's not funny in the slightest," Christina spat. Jack sobered.

"He 'ad a right t'know, luv."

"Yes, he did. But I also have the right to keep it from him, if I so wish! The stupid thing was none of your business!"

"Stupid thing? That's how yer goin' t'refer to it, aye?"

"Jack! It was a stupid thing! It was a stupid mistake!"

"A stupid mistake that _you_ egged on!"

"I did not. You're the one who dragged me downstairs and pinned me against the wall!"

"Yer the one who asked if I found ye attractive. An' if me memory serves me well, ye weren't exactly discouragin' throughout the whole thing."

"I was drunk! I wasn't thinking straight!"

"Hold on, so now I took advantage of ye? That's rich, Christina."

Christina sighed to control herself, shooting a cautious look towards the front door to make sure that no Commodores were eavesdropping on them.

"You shouldn't have told him," she said to Jack angrily.

"It was a joke. It wasn't meant t'have such a serious effect," he smirked.

"How could it not have a serious effect! I'm his fiancée, Jack. We're getting married."

"Well, ye could've told me that before, luv. Then we wouldn't 'ave this little misunderstandin' t'clear up," Jack replied sarcastically, trying to make light of the subject. Christina looked heavenwards, exasperated.

"This isn't some game, Jack! This is my life! It was fine before you came along and complicated it to such horrendous extents! You can't just barge in and mix things around as you please. People get hurt!" she cried.

Jack listened to her silently before replying, "Did ye get hurt, luv?"

Christina opened her mouth to answer but found no reply that would benefit her argument. Jack nodded.

"Yer angry, but not hurt. An' ye know why? 'Cause I 'aven't done anythin' t'wrong ye. We both know ye don' want t'marry that man in there. Even if only one of us will admit it. If anythin', if ye'll let it follow through an' not deny yer way out of it, I've done ye a favor. But if me bein' in yer life bothers ye that much, then I shall take care of the problem fer ye," he turned and started down the garden path away from her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Christina called out after him although she knew full well what it meant. Jack did not turn back as he made his way back to the Pearl.

_I feel mighty evil at the present. Ah, well, ye'll just 'ave t'review an' tell me not t'follow through with seperatin' Jack an' Chris, aye?_

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Someone's bein' a 'lil harsh on ol' Lizzy, I reckon. An' I 'aven't a clue in the world wha' made Jack no longer like drunken seductive women, aye. A bad experience too many, I'd assume. An' Jack did tell tha truth. But it didn' seem to do too much good..._

Whims: _'Ello there, lass. I'll 'ave t'assume that ye love yeself a helluva lot. An' I'm pleased that me story almost matches up with that! As fer ye threat, anythin' ta keep off the bow of ye ship an' outta shark's teeth reach will do me jus' fine. I shall not tell a soul that ye 'ave marked the spot with a 'y'... an' I did not jus' say that. Dancin' with the stars I shall surely be!_

Karibbean: _Aye, I realize tha' I stopped at a rather cruel spot an' this chapter is no exception, I'm 'fraid. Hope this one was fun ta read too._

Ailuro: _YE DON'T UNDERSTAND, LUV! The 'ole point was tha' Jack would NEVER throw a 'alf empty bottle of rum o'er board. He was jus' so disgusted with his crew's behavior tha' he was blinded with insanity fer a short moment. Me sure he's regrettin' it now, though. I don' really 'ave too much of a record, luv. I 'aven't touched a drop in five months. The reason bein' that las' time I 'ad any alcohol, I 'ad quite a bit an' got meself a bad case of alcohol poisoning. Not nice. An' if ye are laughin' right now, ye'll be a dead lass._


	15. Please Let My People Go

_**I work at Hungry Jack's. For those 'o live outside of Perth, Western Australia, Hungry Jack's is our version of Burger King. Aye, I know, such an intelligent individual shoul'nt b'workin' in fast food. But I 'ave a request. Nex' time ye go t'ye local Burger King an' th'line in five hundred people long an' there's only one girl on front counter, please be kind. Don' shout obscenities. Don' give the girl ten dollar bribes t'give ye yer burger early. An' don' spill drinks all over the 'lil screen where ye orders come up. Much appreciated. I don' own Pirates of the Caribbean.**_

"Elizabeth made an advance on you last night, didn't she?" Will stated accusingly as he met a hurried looking Jack swaggering up the hall towards him. Jack stared at him for a moment, trying to remember what he was referring to. A flashback of Elizabeth placing her hand on his thigh jolted him back to reality and he shuddered. Will frowned. Jack shook his head resolutely.

"Will, we 'ave more important problems on our hands right now. Me crew-" he started hastily, trying to get past Will.

Will blocked his way and cut him off, "What happened?"

Jack searched his genius for an easy answer that would not seem like he was brushing the issue off but also one that would not bring on an eight hour sob session with the lad. He considered, but for a moment, hitting Will over the head with a blunt object to knock him out for a good hour or so, making him easier to pass by. Finding nothing suitable on his person, he sighed.

"Look, mate, t'was nothin'. Aye, she came on to me... but it was a very married-to-someone-else sort of advance," he explained.

"A married-to-someone-else sort of advance?" Will repeated questioningly.

"A _very_ married-to-someone-else sort of advance," Jack corrected with a lifted finger, "Now, we 'ave t'get to the Commodore's house."

Will blocked his way again, exasperated, "What do you mean?"

Jack let out a sound of frustration, putting his hand over his mouth to keep from shouting at the lad. Feeling slightly composed, he placed a reassuring hand on Will's shoulder.

"I believe she said somethin' like, "Jack. Could ye please tighten me corset which seems t'have very inconveniently and completely by accident come loose... ye sexy beast, you."," Jack added jokingly, hoping to loosen up the tense looking Will.

"That's not funny, Jack," Will growled as the pirate tried to get by again. Jack nodded apologetically. Although he had found the last part of Elizabeth's quote rather amusing himself.

"Look, Will, the lass was drunk. Ye can't blame 'er fer bein' charmed by me dashingly handsome good looks while she was drunk," he smiled, flicking the air.

Will scowled.

"I know, not funny," Jack scolded himself on Will's behalf, "But I really must get goin' right now."

He finally slipped past the man, who followed at a close distance behind him as he made haste for the stairs. Unfortunately, he met the other half of the Turner couple on the deck, pacing worriedly. Penitence flooded Elizabeth's features when she spotted Jack, who fought against the urge to run. A guilty Elizabeth was almost as frightening as an angry one.

"Jack, I'm _so_ sorry! I had to tell him or I simply would not have been able to live with myself. I'm so embarrassed, Jack. I made a right fool of myself, didn't I? Oh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized profusely in one breath.

"Aye, aye, very nice, luv," Jack brushed off without a second glance, hoping to get off the Pearl very soon for the first time in his life. Elizabeth stared after him for a second before chasing after him with her husband.

"You're just going to walk off? I apologized and you're not even going to accept it?" she grit, planting herself in front of him so he couldn't walk off the gangplank. Jack sighed loudly.

"Consider yer apology accepted," he told her quickly, trying desperately to get past.

"That's not a real acceptance!" she insisted stubbornly.

"What d'ye want me t'do?" Jack roared back. Elizabeth snapped her mouth shut and Jack moaned, regretting shouting at her. It was hard work having the morals of a gentleman and the motives of a pirate.

"I'm sorry. An' there's nothin' fer ye t'apologize t'me fer anyways, Elizabeth. The attention of a woman is never somethin' t'apologize fer," he told her with mock seriousness before gently steering her out of his way and making a beeline down to the docks.

Elizabeth and Will paused for a moment before following the hurried pirate. They each asked several times for explanation but all they got in answer was Jack muttering about his crew and the Commodore being a 'bloody scoundrel'. They were none the wiser when Jack knocked loudly on Norrington's front door.

Jack was caught totally off guard when instead of the butler opening the door, Christina appeared. Her agape jaw showed she was in much the same position.

"I... I was just about to come see you," Christina mumbled, apparently embarrassed.

"Where's the butler?" Jack frowned.

"Day off," Christina answered numbly.

"I need t'see the Commodore," Jack informed her.

"...What for?" Christina asked in puzzlement.

"None of yer business!" Jack snapped. Elizabeth and Will looked at him in suprise as Christina bit her lip and opened the door wider so that they could enter. She quietly slipped into the next room without a word.

"What was that about?" Will hissed at Jack.

"What was what about?" Jack muttered.

"Why did you shout at Chris like that?" Elizabeth demanded.

"I didn't shout. I simply informed her that the matter I am here t'see the Commodore about does not concern her," he sniffed. Will and Elizabeth rolled their eyes at his elusiveness.

"They had a fight," the couple sighed in unison. Jack rolled his eyes dramatically back at them, mimicking.

Just then, Norrington entered with Christina just behind him.

"Mr Sparrow?" he frowned.

"Commodore Norrington," Jack grit in return.

"... What can I do for you?" Norrington asked hesitantly.

"Ye can do somethin' about me men still bein' locked up, that's what ye can do," Jack replied furiously.

The Commodore lifted his brows in suprise, "I released your men last night. You were here when I gave the order."

"Well it would appear that yer authority on the matter 'as been undermined as me men an' other companions are still in jail," Jack informed him.

"Are you sure?" Will asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Nay, Will. Jus' thought I'd come abuse the Commodore as a leisurely mornin' activity. Ye know, maybe even make a day of it," Jack spat sarcastically.

"Oh, would you lighten up for God's sake, Jack. James, can you please come with us to the jail and sort this out?" Elizabeth sighed. Everyone else seemed pleased that she had told the pirate what they were thinking. Everyone but Jack. It seemed to worsen his foul mood further still.

The Commodore obliged and soon he, Will and Elizabeth and Jack were headed for the jail, Christina following at a safe distance behind. She didn't want to attract any of Jack's anger, that she may have caused, her way.

Jack noticed this but chose to let her worry herself into a frenzy so he wouldn't have to waste the energy. She was doing a good job of it too, she averted her eyes and wrung her hands together nervously anytime he looked in her general direction.

There was still utter and absolute chaos in the jail. A little tired now, after being left in their cells the whole night but also angry at the same fact, the pirates shouted in glee when they spotted Jack and snarled obscenities when they saw the Commodore.

"Jack! Where 'ave ye been, ye daft fool?" Ana Maria asked furiously.

"I waited fer ye all t'come back t'the Pearl las' night, woman! Bet ye were all sleepin' while I waited fer five hours," Jack accused.

"I'll bet _ye_ were sleepin', ye scoundrel!" Ana Maria narrowed her eyes. Jack looked away as if distracted and she smirked.

"Jack, 'ave ye come t'get us out, then?" Mr Gibbs piped up, starting everyone else up too. Jack motioned for the Commodore to take over the show.

"Why have these men not been released, officers?" Norrington demanded.

The two guards from the night before were still there and Jack and Christina rolled their eyes simultaneously. Guard number one gulped nervously.

"We have been told to keep them in custody until further notice, sir."

"Who in the heavens told you that? I requested that they be released," Norrington frowned.

"We know, Commodore," guard number two muttered.

"Well?" Norrington prompted impatiently.

"Shortly after we got word from you, we were commanded to not release the prisoners," guard two explained.

"Who commanded you!" Norrington exclaimed, exasperated at the guards' poor question answering skills.

"The Admiral of the Fleet, sir. Admiral Steeling," guard number two told him apologetically.

"The Admiral overruled my command?" Norrington asked, reeling in shock. The guards nodded.

"There's nothing I can do, Mr Sparrow. You'll have to take it up with the Admiral, I'm afraid," he told Jack, almost penitent.

"Have to take what up with me?" another voice sounded.

All heads turned to see a very slightly older looking but much more regal looking gentleman coming down the stairs. Jack scowled before another word had left the man's mouth, filled with loathing for him already.

"Admiral Steeling," Norrington greeted with a tight smile.

"So yer the one 'o locked me men up?" Jack scowled.

"You must be Captain Sparrow. Pleased to make your acquaintance," the Admiral offered his hand. Jack eyed it for a long time before the man casually put it back down.

"These are your men, I understand?" Steeling continued.

"Some of 'em. Th' rest are the men ye haven't been intelligent enough t'catch 'till now," Jack replied detachedly.

"'Till now," the Admiral repeated pointedly. A uproar sounded from the cells.

"I had an agreement with the Commodore that they would be released," Jack stated testily.

"Well, your agreement was, in fact, rather illegal and had been voided," the Admiral informed him matter of factly.

"In case ye haven't noticed, mate, the term 'illegal' doesn't hold a lot of weight in my books," Jack reminded him impatiently.

"I am full aware of that, Captain Sparrow. But I expect that once you take the time to realize that that term is what's keeping your men locked up, it will hold a somewhat heavy weight in your books," the Admiral replied unaffectedly.

"So how can we get them released legally?" a voice asked quietly. All heads turned to see Christina eyeing the Admiral, waiting for an answer.

"You must be the Commodore's fiancée. Nice to meet you, Miss Lacimore," the Admiral greeted warmly, "I understand your wedding is on Saturday?"

"Would ye just answer the question?" Jack frowned at the Admiral before Christina could reply. The Admiral sighed resignedly.

"At the moment, there is no way that you can have them released. They are pirates that I do not deem fit to set loose in Port Royal so they shall remain in the jail until the situation changes," he told them.

"Right," Jack muttered before abruptly storming up the stairs. Everyone else stared after him, suprised that he was giving up so early. The only person to follow after him was Christina, Will, Elizabeth and the Commodore stayed to further plead their case.

"Jack!" Christina called after the hurried pirate. Jack turned his head and kept walking at the same pace.

"What are you going to do?" Christina asked worriedly.

"What d'ye mean, what am I goin' t'do? I'm goin' t find a way t'get them out," Jack replied sharply.

"Illegally?"

"Were ye not there when the man said that illegally was the only way?"

"He said that there was no way you could do it legally. I don't think he meant that you should then go and find some illegal way to do it."

"Well, it would appear that we heard different things from the same mouth, then."

Christina caught up, short of breath although Jack did not slow his pace to accommodate for her. They kept walking for a moment in silence before Christina spoke again.

"I want to help," she told him resolutely.

"A lady springing a few dozen pirates out of jail. That'd make fer amusin' headlines, t'be sure," Jack smirked.

"Jack, I'm serious," Christina insisted.

"I assure ye I can manage," Jack replied gruffly. Christina stopped.

"For goodness' sake, I'm sorry, Jack."

Despite all of his urges to keep walking in a hurry- all though there really wasn't much of one, he wouldn't be able to get his men out until that night anyway- he slowly drifted to a stop and turned to face her. He saw the distress on her face that he had caused and took a deep breath.

"What was that?"

"I'm sorry. I was wrong. You were right. I shouldn't have said what I did last night... None of it was true," Christina admitted humbly.

"I was right," Jack repeated, a triumphant smile twitching at his mouth. Christina nodded.

"I was just afraid of what could happen if James did know about... the hall," she mumbled.

"But it appears ye did deny yer way out of that one," Jack said all knowingly.

Christina lifted her chin, "He denied my way out of it. Said he simply could _not_ believe a word that bloody pirate uttered."

"He called me a 'bloody pirate'?" Jack lifted his brows in suprise.

"Well, no. He called you 'Mr Sparrow'. I do wish he would be more dramatic about these things," Christina smirked. Jack chuckled.

"Fine. I'll accept yer offer t'help... but not because I need to... an' it doesn't mean I've forgiven ye," he added gruffly.

"Why would you accept my help if you didn't need it when you haven't forgiven me?" Christina asked teasingly.

"Listen, woman, stop askin' questions an' get workin' on ideas," Jack ordered as he started stalking towards the Pearl again.

Christina only grinned and followed.

_An' now they're goin' ta spring out Jack's crew. Shoul' make fer an interestin' chapter, I reckon. Well, at least I 'ope so. Ye would think that I coul' make it interestin' right? Blast, now I made meself nervous n' all. Be kind. I'm insecure._

angedemusica: _Well, I doubt ye'll read this fer a while yet but I'm glad ye liked the first chapter, luv. I hope ye do come back fer more. We all do... God, I'm weird t'night. Sorry._

Ailuro: _Sorry fer gratin' on yer nerves, lass. I honestly didn' even think of those things! Oops. I guess, maybe, Jack an' Chris could've been so far below an' away from the deck tha' they couldn' hear the crew no more... Nay, no excuse. I've tried ta be more careful with this chapter but I think some of the characters may 'ave slipped out of character. Here's t'hopin' I'm the only one who picked up on it this time._

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Elizabeth apologized. Are ye happy now? Eh? She's really torn up over wha' ye said, lass. Been in tears fer days now. Gettin' on me nerves, t'be brutally honest. An' Chris wasn' too pleased t'hear wha' ye said 'bout her, neither. Rather pissed actually. But she figured she didn' really want people thinkin' of her as cold hearted or nothin' so she apologized too. Jack got two apologies this chapter. He's rather chuffed._

Karibbean: _Don' worry none, luv. Me thinks Jack woul' find it humanly impossible t'keep outta everyone's way. Hope ye liked this one._

MariAmber: _Glad ye liked chapter 14. Hope ye enjoyed this one too. Cheers_!


	16. Aka Father Smith

_**Aye, so, I 'ave given ye a new chapter. Kindness jus' gets the best of me I 'spose. I think there may 'ave been some confusion o'er Jack's agreement with the Commodore an' whether his clemency was still valid. All I meant by wha' the Admiral said was tha' the agreement was useless 'cause it was impossible ta make in tha first place. So, at the present moment, Jack is not a criminal. At the moment. **_

_**No Pirates of the Caribbean fer me...**_

"Right, so ye got it, lass?"

Christina nodded, then shook her head, "Jack, it's too simple. It won't work."

"If it's simple, there's less ways it can back fire, savvy? Ye jus' go down there, get whoever's down there up here an' keep 'em there 'til I give ye the signal. Then, if ye have to, run."

"You've changed it already, Jack! What's the signal?"

"... I'll whistle. Like this," he put a couple of fingers in his mouth and gave a low, barely audible whistle. Christina looked at him incredulously.

"I won't hear that!" she hissed as he started pushing her towards the entrance of the jail.

"Yes, ye will. Relax," he encouraged as she turned back to face him.

"Jack, if I get arrested-"

"Ye won't get arrested, luv."

"But if I do, it doesn't matter. I don't care."

"'Ave ye been arrested before, Christina?"

"...No."

"Then don't go sayin' ye won't care. Thanks fer the thought, though."

And with that, he gently pushed her inside. She took a deep breath before walking calmly down the stairs, careful not to trip over the front of her dress. She smirked, that could ruin her low key entrance quite dramatically. The crew and other pirates piped up when they saw her, like a flock of seagulls when they spotted a morsel of food. She hid her smile and kept coming.

"Be quiet, you bloody pirates!" a voice shouted angrily.

Christina froze a little upon seeing how many other bodies were filling the notably small jail. There were at least two dozen soldiers gathered around a what looked like a table filled with cards. Christina's eyes narrowed with realization and she cleared her throat to announce her presence.

The effect was tremendous. One soldier quickly tilted up the table so that the cards slipped off onto the ground and a couple of the others quickly tried to kick them underneath the desk nearby while the rest made futile attempts to cover it up. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief when they saw it was but the Governor's niece, but still stood upright and tense.

"Officers," Christina greeted casually.

"Miss Lacimore," some of them mumbled sheepishly.

She motioned to the now empty table behind them, "What was so interesting?"

"Nothing," came the slightly unified reply. Christina smirked.

"Funny. I thought I saw playing cards. I don't remember gambling to be a part of your watching the prisoners. And why the crowd?"

"...Well, one of the boys just got word that ... his brother... is engaged. We were celebrating," one of the senior looking soldiers stumbled.

Christina let mock delight light up her face, "Oh! Who was the boy?"

There was a slight pause before three hands slid up and after a bit of mixing up, one hand was left raised.

"Congratulations on your brother's engagement," Christina smiled, "But a question, officers. Since when did celebrating call for the vile act of gambling... and on duty for some of you?"

A couple of soldiers, whom the last words had applied to, looked down at their boots guiltily. Christina nodded with feigned disapproval.

"I'm afraid that the Commodore is going to have to be notified of this," she sighed sadly. Apologetic arguments to her words followed. She shook her head, silencing them.

"No, I really must insist. All follow me right now."

Jack watched all of this from the alley that ran behind the jail, where there was a sole window at ankle level into the cells below.

"Clever girl," he smirked quietly.

"Oi! What are you doing down there?"

Jack whirled his head to see a red coated soldier aiming his rifle ready to shoot. He instinctively lifted his hands and shrugged in a defensive manner.

"What d'ye mean, what am I doin'?"

"Near the window. What are you doin near that window? What's your name?" the soldier demanded.

"... Smith."

"Smith, eh? And where did you come from, Mr Smith?" the soldier inquired haughtily, pleased at finding a future prisoner.

"Down the road...," Jack drifted, motioning outside the alley.

"The only thing down the road is a church, Mr Smith. I 'spose that would make ye a priest?" the soldier smirked.

Jack paused. This was not the first time he would have to impersonate a clerk of the Church of England. He had hoped the first time would be the last, although, he had to admit himself, it was quite the performance. Ah well, time to dust off the old dog collar.

"...Child, why would ye doubt me bein' a priest?" he asked in his most welcoming voice, shooting a worried look down at the window behind him. The soldier cocked his head in surprise.

"You look like you haven't had a bath in months. Your hair is matted. You have make up on... What is a priest doing hanging around the jail's windows anyway?" the he asked suspiciously.

Jack tried not to show his offense taken to the man's observations as he answered, "Outreach program. I was jus' goin' ta offer the prisoners a prayer..."

"So why the get up?"

Jack looked down at himself. He would hardly consider his outfit a 'get up'. Everything was there for a purpose, after all. His shirt and pants for obvious reasons. His sash was to hold his pants up. His belt held his pistol and cutlass. True, that meant he could probably go without the sash but he liked to think it added a distinctive, 'Sparrow' air to his appearance. His coat kept him warm and his hat... it was his hat. Simple.

"Jus' really wanted to get into the part," he muttered sarcastically.

"Well, you should be more careful running around in such a costume at night, Father," the soldier warned, finally lowering his weapon. Jack flashed a tight smile, biting his tongue to keep from retorting to the 'costume' comment.

"Thanks fer the warnin'."

The soldier hovered for a moment, still a little unsure, Jack thought. He couldn't really blame him. In fact, he was a sad excuse for one of the King's Finest if he let Jack get away with such a flimsy cover. He shot another worried look towards the window, knowing the Christina would be wondering what had become of him.

"Father?"

Jack frowned, "Yes?"

"Do you do confessions outside of the church?"

"Uh. 'Course. God's children are always welcome... at all hours of the night... anywhere," he stumbled pathetically.

Relief showed on the soldiers features and he strode towards him, motioning for them to take a seat on the crates near by. Jack took a deep breath before following, stumbling to a sitting position.

The soldier left a good ten minutes later, leaving a stunned and slightly disgusted looking Jack in his wake. Seems that the Admiral's daughter wasn't exactly one for behaving in admirable ways. Jack shook his head, chuckling before he remembered Christina. Blast.

Christina had been leading the soldiers around in the near vicinity of the jail for the past year or so, she felt like. She could hear them grumbling now, probably plotting to end her life. !t wasn't really that paranoid of a thought. They had been dragged away from their game, probably with a lot of money on the line, by the threat of their superior being notified of their wrong doings and they were following a woman that very may well have lost the plot.

"Miss Lacimore, the Commodore's house is that way!" one of them piped up as they passed the street that all knew was where the house was.

Christina pretended to be offended to hide her nervousness, "Are you suggesting that I do not know where my fiancée's house is?"

The soldier fell silent all though his frustrated expression said everything he hadn't.

"Where are you, Jack?" Christina muttered.

There ye are, Jack!" Ana Maria cried back at the jail as Jack swaggered down the stairs. He grinned at his cheery welcome before beginning search for the keys.

"T'the brig, ye scallwags!" Mr Cotton's parrot squawked loudly, making Jack jump. He looked at Mr Gibbs for answers, holding his chest against his racing heart.

"He says the keys be in the top drawer, Cap'n," Gibbs chuckled.

"Oh. Thankye, Mr Cotton...'s parrot," Jack added as an after thought, rifling through the said drawer hurriedly. The pirates cheered when he jingled their freedom before them. He grinned, enjoying the gratitude, too rarely shown by his crew, he thought.

"Hurry up, Jack, ye daft fool. Stop makin' a bleedin' show out o' it an' spring us out," Ana Maria demanded and Jack lowered his brows as he obliged.

The pirates quickly made their ways out of their cells and started up the stairs, Jack just behind them. They had stepped but twenty feet outside when they heard a large amount of footsteps coming down the street they were headed for. Jack, now in the front, stopped and held out his arms to stop those on either side of him.

Christina's eyes grew wide as saucers when she spied Jack and his parade of pirates frozen in the middle of the road. She stopped abruptly in her soldiers running into her and her almost falling over.

"Jack!"

"Christina!"

"The prisoners!" the soldiers realised, starting to run towards them as the pirates withdrew their weapons.

"Wait! Stop!" Christina commanded and very, very reluctantly, the soldiers turned back at her questioningly.

"...I just remembered where the Commodore's house is!... Not that I had forgotten. I knew all along, of course. It's just not that often that I have to get there from the jail. Ha, fancy that... Funny, right?" Christina stalled as Jack silently motioned to his crew to make themselves scarce. The pirates quickly slipped away in different directions into the dark. Jack, catching Christina's eye, who was still talking needlessly about how her knowledge of the Commodore's house's location, pointed in the direction of an alley near by before making haste for it.

"... I mean, to be sure, I haven't really even known him that long if you really think over it. Ten is older than it sounds, after all. But I still know where his house is because... it's his house and... I know where it is," Christina finished.

The soldiers stared incredulously at her. She shrugged hopefully.

"Miss Lacimore, can we please arrest the pirates now?" one of the younger looking soldiers moaned.

Christina smiled slightly, "What pirates?"

The soldiers all spun around to be faced with the empty street. One by one, they turned back to look at her suspiciously. Christina put on a face of immense concern.

"Where are the pirates, Miss Lacimore?" a soldier asked.

"I'm afraid I do not know what you're talking about, officer," she told him apologetically and a little cautiously.

"They were just there!" another red coat piped up.

"It would seem that you are suffering from hallucination, officers. I have rethought my decision to take you to the Commodore. You all go back to the jail and I'll take up the issue of your poor working hours and possible workers abuse with all that terrible foul air down in the jail that seems to have taken a horrific effect on your mental healths," she told them in one breath, making up the charade as she went along. She shook her head sadly at them as they slowly and cautiously retreated back towards the jail.

No one saw Christina duck into the alley that Jack had disappeared into earlier.

_So, there ye go. Jack's crew 'ave been set free at last. But at what price, I wonder? I really 'aven't a clue at the moment 'cause I 'aven't written the next part as of yet. Don't tell 'nyone._

_An' the last thing is that I've started another fic. It's lackin' reviews so go to me homepage an' take a squiz at it. Tell me what ye think, aye?_

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Aye, everythin' between Jack an' the ladies is fine and fixed. Jack was very pleased tha' ye see it from his perspective; a very rare gift in a lass. An' I would give Elizabeth yer apologies but she's still rather fragile an' I'd prefer not ta bring it up fer all of our sakes. An' dear William was not angry at yer lass. I think 'im an' Elizabeth still 'ave some business though._

Karibbean: _I 'ave a feelin' tha' ye'll like this one. Jus' a feelin' . I like Jack bein' the priest, tha' was fun ta write. An' I'm glad ye liked the last one. That ye could picture Jack makes me very pleased. Cheers._

Ailuro: _Luv, I sent yer an email. No response. Very sad. One more chance? Ye don't mess around, d'ye? I feel the pressure. An' if the offer's still open, I would much appreciate an editor. But I'm not sure if this part got through, maybe it got sent t'yer junkmail..._


	17. The Accomplice

_**Allo all. I see ye 'ave missed me while I've been gone. Understandable. A lot of reviews t'reply to this chapter. Flippin' 'eck. Ye filled up a whole page of reviews. Congratulations. But, again, understandable. Jus' t'remind ye, Jack an' Christina 'ave sprung out Jack's crew. Now they 'ave t'get themselves the hell out of Port Royal. Good fun, eh?**_

It was late in the morning after the rescuing pirates escapade that Christina opened her eyes.

Dark chocolate eyes smiled back at her as a light hand traced up and down her side. Jack.

Christina screamed. And to follow the scream up, she jumped back and, unfortunately misjudging the bed space behind her, landed with a loud thud on the wooden floor boards below. She heard Jack chuckle.

Typical for the pirate to find such an embarrassing mishap amusing.

Christina felt her face flush and she bit her lip. Very, very slowly, she raised herself up on all fours, ignoring the pain in her lower back from her fall. With wide eyes, she gradually lifted her head until she caught sight of Jack over the edge of the bed, smirking at her.

"Why, what charmin' morning after grace ye have, luv," he complimented her.

Christina felt her stomach jump to her throat, "Oh... my God..."

This only made Jack chuckle more. Christina quickly looked down and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her dress clad body. She had only slept with Jack.

In the literal sense of the phrase.

"Thank God..." she breathed.

"Fer what?" Jack inquired, obviously finding the performance rather amusing, a crooked grin twitching at his mouth. Christina took a moment to look around, realizing she was not familiar with her surroundings.

"Where are we?" she frowned.

"Chester's," he answered matter of factly.

"Oh... Friend of yours?" she asked hopefully.

Jack laughed, "It's a brothel."

Christina's jaw dropped, "You promised you wouldn't take me into _any_ brothel _ever_ again!"

"Under the circumstances, I'm afraid there was no choice, luv," Jack shrugged, inspecting his fingernails nonchalantly.

"What circumstances?" she spat.

"Must I really spell ev'ry little thing out fer yer, Christina? After last night, where else would the Navy not bother t'look fer us? It was out of my hands so I cannot be held accountable fer the oversteppin' of our promise," he sniffed.

Christina rolled her eyes and pushed herself up from the cold floor rather clumsily and dusted herself off, trying to look as dignified as possibly possible as one could after such a foolish fall.

Not very.

"A gentleman would've given the lady the bed and taken the floor to sleep on," she muttered irritably.

"Aye, ye're right. But I ain't a gentleman, am I?" Jack smirked as he swung his feet around to the floor and stretched.

"Bloody pirate," Christina agreed, fully intending to give him a lecture before she caught a glimpse out the window to the street below. Her eyes narrowed and she stepped closer. She saw parties of red coats half walking, half running down the path, all rifles very visible and threatening, obviously on the hunt for some disgraceful criminal, a running fugitive, an embarrassment to their perfect society...

"...Their looking for us!" Christina shrieked in realization.

Jack jumped at her sudden rise in volume and sent a worried glance at the door, outside of which he could imagine the hall swarming with dozens of officers looking for him. Just barely concealing their hopeful joy at the thought of the drum roll that would signal the floor falling out from underneath Captain Jack Sparrow's boots and the dull crack that would be his neck in the noose. He shuddered and turned back to the stunned lass who stood in the very clear view of those outside the window.

"Well, I'm sure they'll think ye a fantastic citizen an' greatly appreciate yer help with the task but yer playin' fer the wrong team," he hissed.

"Am I a criminal? Am I an accomplice?" Christina asked urgently.

"What does it matter? I thought ye said ye don't care if ye get locked up," Jack reminded her calmly as he pulled on his boots.

"And then you said not to say that because I'd never been locked up before. So I took it back," Christina told him.

"I didn't hear ye take it back," Jack replied.

"I didn't tell you I took it back but I did. After you say something like that, it goes unsaid that the person is obviously going to take back their words. It's the rule," Christina insisted as he stood and moved the curtain to get a look out the window.

"I ain't never heard a rule like that, luv," Jack murmured as he watched a man being questioned by a few red coats.

Christina paused before turning pleading eyes on him, "Jack, I'm too young to go to jail."

Jack lifted his eyes to hers, trying not to laugh when he realised she was serious, "Christina, I assure you, you are not too young to go to jail. An' ye have nothin' t'worry about anyway. Yer daddy already 'as a pirate daughter. As if he could handle the social disgrace of 'avin a jail bird as a child on top of that."

"...This had nothing to do with my father," Christina spat, sounding very unconvicted.

"An' I'm your majesty the King," Jack smirked.

Christina was about to fire back a retort about his painfully apparent lack of majesty when a knock on the door silenced her. Both sets of eyes shot to the door, both bodies unmoving. There was another knock.

"Who is it?" Jack called, disguising his voice to sound like an old lady, Christina guessed.

"'O do ye think it is, ye scally wag? Open the bloody door already!" came the impatient response. Jack's features relaxed with recognition of the voice. He strode across the room and opened the door to reveal a pile of clothes with legs and high heeled feet.

"Penelope," Jack greeted warmly, opening his arms.

"Come off it, Jack. Move out of my way," the pile of clothes spat, pushing past a stunned to the point of silence Jack and moving to the middle of the room. Suddenly, the pile of clothes was on the floor, in it's place a beautiful dark featured woman in a short blue dress. The woman took a look at Christina, all of Christina, and started sifting through the pile of clothes. Christina blinked in suprise.

"Nice t'see ye too, Penny," Jack muttered, not accustomed to such an almost non-existent, cold and not even slightly sensual greeting from women in the industry.

"Oh, yeah, real nice, Jack. I don't see you f'two years an' when I do hear from you, it's asking if your lady friend can borrow some clothes. Real nice," Penny retorted as she continued searching through her clothes, "I must say, the two years you weren't here were bliss."

Jack narrowed his eyes at her, "Ye know, I 'aven't a clue why I give ye the pleasure of knowin' me."

"Because you're an incompetent male in need of the guidance of all the women you can seduce who'll stoop so low as to pay heed t'your petty games for a night or so. Sum it up for you?" Penny replied, unphased.

Christina couldn't hold back a snigger and Jack scowled at her. She quickly pursed her lips and lifted her brows innocently.

"Right, 'ere we go. Try this on, lass," Penny said, holding up a ruby red, lace up, thigh high, sad excuse for a dress.

"...What?" Christina frowned.

"Put the dress on," Jack told her bitterly, flicking the air and still trying to heal his bruised ego.

"Why?" Christina asked. Penny let out a huff of impatience.

"How else d'ye expect t'get out of 'ere? It's a disguise," Jack elaborated.

"That's half a disguise," Christina sneered, attracting a pointed glare from Penny.

"I'll have you know it's very flattering," the woman informed her testily. Christina offered a forced nervous smile and more out of fear than anything else, accepted the dress thrust towards her.

She lifted it up before her face, inspecting the garment distastefully.

"Is this really necessary?" she moaned, dropping her arms and looking at Jack for mercy.

"Not really. Just amusing," he smirked.

She glared.

"It's bloody necessary!" he exclaimed.

She glared more as he and Penny turned their backs to give her privacy. She felt very, very low when she started changing into the dress, thinking it would be more bearable to be caught and spend the rest of her days behind bars than to be caught dead in the ruby dress.

"What'd you do?" Penny asked Jack as they waited.

"Long story. Basically, firstly, I kidnapped 'er. A few days after that, I left her outside in the cold fer a few hours, dripping wet. Then, I traded her for a ship. When we got 'ere, I used the fact that I knew about her being Barbossa's daughter to gain clemency. We 'ad a party an' I took advantage of her bein' drunk t'try to seduce her. An' I 'ave the feelin' gettin' 'er t'wear this dress will be right up there s'well," Jack explained.

Penny stared at him for a long moment before replying, "I meant what'd you do to get the Navy after you this time."

Jack lifted his brows in suprise and forced a charming smile, "...I made that up... Anythin' t'make ye laugh, Pen."

"Like hell you did," she smirked.

"...I'm ready... I think," Christina said quietly from behind them. She glared at Jack when he put his tongue in his cheek to hide a grin. Penny nodded, impressed.

"I'll get you the boots that go with it," she said, bending down to go through the pile of clothes again.

"...Very becoming," Jack commented boldly, putting his fingers to his lips.

"What are you wearing?" Christina spat.

"I've got a black suit and a dog collar," Penny said.

"A vicar and a tart. How delightful," Christina grumbled, trying to tug down her skirt's high hem line and pull up her low neckline at the same time.

"Not so delightful as believable," Penny replied dryly.

"Second time in two days I've 'ad t'go by the name 'Father'," Jack sighed.

Christina looked at him pointedly as he reached for the black trousers, "You did this yesterday as well? When?"

"While I was waitin' fer ye t'get yer act together in the jail," Jack told her airily.

"It's a federal offense to impersonate a clerk of the Church of England," Christina informed him.

"Oh, no. Not a federal offense," Jack mocked.

Christina only rolled her eyes in response. They widened when Penny shoved two, long black leather stiletto boots into her stomach.

"Thanks," she muttered, carrying the weapon resembling footwear to the bed and sitting down in order to, with great difficulty, pull them on.

Within another half hour, Christina and Jack were walking down the street, arms linked. Jack looked rather foolish in the large, round black hat he had to wear to cover his hair. Christina would've laughed until she could no longer had she not felt so foolish herself. The two attracted many a disgusted stare and hushed whispers lingered in their wake.

"Where are we meeting the crew?" Christina asked Jack without moving her lips, smiling tightly at the elderly woman who stood with her jaw agape at seeing the priest and the whore so openly strutting down the street in the company of eachother.

Surely this had not been the simplest way to get to the docks.

"I'm hopin' they know t'go t'the Pearl," Jack muttered and Christina's eyes widened.

"You mean you don't have a plan?"

"I 'ave a plan, luv. It's just a very flexible one."

"Flexible as in if the crew aren't at the docks, we're finished," Christina filled in glumly.

"Well, I wouldn't put it in such depressin' terms but something like that, yes," Jack nodded, winking at a Navy officer who stared at them in puzzlement.

"Fantastic," Christina mumbled.

Soon, the disguised pair found themselves at the busy harbor. And as subtly as their outfits, they started searching for the crew. Behind crates. In the water. Underneath the docks. Inside barrels. All very likely places that one would find a person.

After a frantic twenty minutes of searching and turning up empty handed, Jack and Christina sighed in unison.

"'Spose we best go back t'the Pearl an' wait fer them there," Jack suggested and Christina nodded. The two walked past the number of other ships docked, including the Sapphire and travelled up the Pearl's gangplank, casting glances over their shoulder to be sure there were no red coats in sight.

Once in the middle of the deck, Jack and Christina leant against the mast to await the crew's arrival. They were incredibly suprised when the crew started to emerge from various places on the ship, having arrived before their strangely dressed Captain and his similarly clad lady.

"Where've ya been, Jack?" Ana Maria demanded, apparently too furious to chuckle at his get up like the rest of the crew.

"What d'ye mean? It's only nine o'clock," Jack replied.

"Aye, we've been 'ere all night, ye daft fool," Ana Maria spat, whacking him over the back of the head, knocking his hat off.

Jack scowled at her and rubbed his head, "Thought ye'd know better an' hide out fer the night. Sorry fer the inconvenience."

Will and Elizabeth arrived up the gangplank hurriedly, stopping to stare at Jack and Christina.

"Chris... you look...," Will started.

"Different," Elizabeth finished diplomatically. Christina frowned at them.

"Nice suit," Will told Jack who dusted off his collar airily.

"Let's go," Ana Maria commanded, attracting a more fiecesome scowl from Jack. The crew jumped into action, Gibbs leading some of them to the Sapphire.

"You ain't the Captain, woman," Jack growled at Ana Maria who paid no heed, only stalked to the helm.

"Bloody pirates," Jack muttered as the Pearl heaved into motion.

_End of chapter 17. Already. Three more chapters an' I'll be in me twenties... I feel so old... Alright, 'ere's a notice: I would greatly appreciate ideas at this point 'cause I'm at a loss (unbelievable, right?). I'm not sayin' that I can definately use yer ideas 'cause that would make it into a 'choose yer own adventure' sort o' thing an' that's against the rules. I play by the rules. So, if ye have any comments t'make that could help me out, I would be very much so obliged. Two guidelines: No one is turning gay. No animals are goin' ta start talkin' 'cept fer Mr Cotton's parrot. Savvy?_

LadyLoannuniel: _Mandy, Mandy Mandy. 'Nyone can write. I don't think ye'd find it a waste of time if ye tried. An' I'm glad ye likin' me tale. Sorry it took a while t'update ye, luv._

TheSiriusSparrow: _Ah! There she is! Ye've been gone quite the while, luv. But it's alright 'cause ye reviewed the chapters ye'd missed. So ye still in me good books. Lucky. Aye, Spanish homework would be a drag. An' it's gettin' in the way of yer readin'! Bloody Spanish teachers. I've taken t'callin' everyone 'bloody'. An excellent form of insulting as it requires very little brainwork. An' ye've only got chapters 16 an' 17 t'go, lass. Well done!_

Rurouni Kai: _One of the best potc fanfics ye've read? I am flattered, luv. Feelin' rather overconfident, really. Aye, Jack as a father was good fun so I couldn't resist doin' it in this chapter too. Question: when people leave their emails endin' with , does it mean Been meanin' t'ask fer a while. Blame it on the fact that I'm Australian an' clueless when it comes t'these things. An' I'll look forward t'readin' yer story when it's up. Cheers!_

_angedemusica: I'm very glad ye love it, luv. An' the chills down yer spine thing made me head even more needlessly bigger. I 'ave never read the book Wicked but I shall review yer fanfic 'nyway, 'cause I can. Sorry it took a whiles t'update. I had work t'do. Bloody work. Hopefully yer cravings will be satisfied fer a little while, eh?_

MeanGirl: _Glad ye liked chapter 15, luv. Amusin' is what I'm aimin' fer so thankye kindly. An' I shall update 'til ye all are screamin' obscenities fer me t'leave the site alone fer once. As fer seperatin' Jack an' Chris, I'm in a good mood, so I'll say they'll be fightin' an' bickerin' forever. Thanks fer the review._

Ailuro: _Well, 'ello, luv. Excitin' t'hear about yer trip. Las' year, I went t' Rome, Venice and Florence an' a few other places in Europe. Bloody fantastic stuff. An' I went t' Las Vegas an' LA. Disneyland is good fun. May 1, eh? That ain't too long, is it? Are ye livin' in Europe? I hope this chapter was to yer liking an' I'm lookin' forward t'me gifts! Ah, I can't wait, it's a pony, ain't it? I 'ave an instinct fer these things. I'd tip me hat if I 'ad one but I shall just say, farewell an' 'ave a lovely holiday._

Mariamber: _Thankye, luv. I'm glad me characters (fine, DISNEY'S characters) are in character. That's always a good thing. Hope ye like this one too. _

Whims: _As I 'ave 'ad t'explain t'the more violent of ye several times before, blushingbeauty86 does not respond well t'threats. She gets crazy. Insane. Rather mad. So, unless it is a very amusin' threat (which yers are, might I say) leave the lass alone t'her writin'. Ha ha. I'm very flattered that ye check yer email t'see if I've written. An' I'm pleased that it's one of the best that yer readin'. An' I'm pretty sure that it was you who asked if I plan on writin' professionally. The answer is 'no'. I find writin' too stressful fer some reason. It's not therapeutic t'me at all imaginin' all the terrible review I might get. I plan t'make a career in music or somethin' else creative. Now that I've bored ye t'death with me, I'd be much obliged if ye reviewed an' told us what ye thought, luv. Thanks fer the review an' the interest in uninterestin' me! _

Grittlebone: _Smashin' name ye got yerself, luv. Original an' fresh me very chuffed. Nay, it takes too long t'write ev'ry chapter down an' then type it up. I usually type little bits at a time over a few days or so so that it don't become like a task. Where are ye up to, by the way? 'Cause ye might not read this fer a while yet. Cheers fer the review._

Karibbean: _Aye, Mr Cotton's pirate is a cheeky 'lil bird. Jack don't like him too much. Glad ye found it funny, it was kind of an after thought that I added in as I was readin' over the chapter. Sorry it's takin' a while t'update!_

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Aye, lass, I'd be a bit cautious with ye compliments t'the Capt'n. He seems a little keen on ye after the treatment he's received from the other women in this chapter. Aye, keep yer eye out, I would. Glad ye liked Jack in the collar. Was rather fun t'write too. So I couldn't resist doin' it again. An' Chris was not happy with her part in this update. Yer very welcome, luv. Cheers._

Forensic Photographer711: _Aye, Jack gets out of these things too smoothly sometimes, me thinks. I 'ave t'bring that confession up again, sometime... another trick up me sleeve. But if it makes ye happy that Jack's out of trouble again, I'm glad. Thankye fer the review, luv._


	18. All At Sea

'_**Ello, all. This is jus' a fill in chapter while I fish fer ideas an' wait fer some more reviews (thankye t'those who 'ave, I shall be talkin' t'ye in the next edition). No action whatsoever in this chapter. It's what I like t'call 'character development'. Nice, eh? Now, the title 'All at Sea', fer the less educated of ye all, is not jus' a convenient series of words that I thought up. It's tha name of the song by Jamie Cullum. Jus' so ye know, he's really good at wha' he does (always a good thing) an' I highly recommend 'im. Go get tha CD. Tha point of all tha' is tha' I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean OR the title of this chapter. Got it?**_

"Jack, where are we going?" Christina asked for the hundred and thirty-ninth time that day. And with good reason. The Black Pearl had been, seemingly to anyone watching from above, floating around aimlessly for the last three days. The Sapphire followed a short distance behind. The only person on board either ship that was not slowly being driven insane by the feeling of utter pointlessness was the one causing it. The Captain of the Pearl.

"I told ye before, I'm still decidin'. Badgerin' me won't do a thing," Jack informed her, not taking his eyes off the horizon. In the background, Ana Maria could be heard shouting abusive obscenities at him from the helm of the Sapphire.

Christina stared at him a moment longer, imagining what it would feel like to seize the pirate's dreads and tug them repeatedly until he begged for mercy and told her his plans. It was obvious he was up to something. The bloody pirate was always up to something. That fact should be added to the laws of nature. Gravity, the food chain and Sparrow always being up to something. Savoring the imaginary sounds of his cries for her to stop, she let out a huff of frustration and stomped away to sit with Elizabeth on the side of the deck, glaring at Jack.

"Has he told you where we're going?" Elizabeth sighed.

"No," Christina answered furiously.

"I think you should take one for the team and bed him. Then he'd tell you," Elizabeth mused, attracting a sideways glare from Christina.

"And on the day that I was supposed to marry the Commodore as well. Too much time around pirates for you, I should think," she commented dryly.

"Oh, yes. I had forgotten all about that," Elizabeth smiled.

"Charming to forget your cousin's wedding," Christina commented sarcastically.

Elizabeth laughed. Christina turned thoughtful and cleared her throat in preparation to say something of importance.

"Me and Jack... We kissed. At the party."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and shot to her cousin, "_What_?"

"We were drunk. It just-"

"You _kissed_ him?"

"He kissed me!" Christina cried before shutting her mouth and casting a cautious glance to the helm to see if Jack had heard. The pirate still stared at the pink with dusk horizon.

"What happened? Have you spoken?" Elizabeth frowned, hushing her voice considerably.

"Not really. We just yelled about it. Not talking. I don't really want to," Christina mumbled. After a lack of response, she turned to Elizabeth questioningly. The girl seemed very disappointed and Christina's face fell.

"Liz, please don't act like that. I know he's a pirate and I should have known better but it was a just a very stupid mistake," she said sadly. Elizabeth looked at her in suprise and shook her head. When Christina lifted her brows for an explanation, Elizabeth smiled sheepishly.

"It's not that I'm disappointed. It's just... now I owe Will a month of proper home cooked meals, breakfast lunch and dinner," she muttered nervously.

"You made a _bet_?" Christina hissed. Elizabeth offered a forced smile.

"He said that it wouldn't be longer than a week of coming to Port Royal before you two... and I said you wouldn't dream of doing anything in the same city as the Commodore... whoops," she shrugged stiffly.

Christina shook her head incredulously, "I can't believe you would do that."

Elizabeth gave her an apologetic look, pleading with her friend to forgive her. Christina couldn't help but to smile at the sight and Elizabeth grinned.

"So, now it's not that big of a deal for you to bed him, right?" she teased.

"Nice. Real classy. All for a little information, too," Christina replied wryly.

Jack watched the women talking from the helm, knowing full well that he was the topic of their conversation. Alright, so he wasn't he didn't know for sure but he decided it was a such a warranted assumption to make that he was clearly in the right for making it. Probably about the party. More specifically, the encounter he had come to fondly refer to as 'the hallway session'.

Nice ring to it, he thought.

Of course, Christina wouldn't share his opinion so he had not as yet referred to it to her if the shouting session outside the Commodore's house was not counted. Nor had he referred to it to anyone else for that matter. He told himself that he was silent on the subject because he had nothing to boast about. She had turned him down. But really, if he was completely honest with himself, a very rare occurrence, he hadn't told anyone because he thought Christina would prefer it that way. And, if he was utterly, totally and completely honest with himself, he respected her enough to also respect her preferences on the matter.

But, as mentioned before, Jack being honest with himself was a very rare occurrence.

He stole another glance at the women who were searching the section of horizon he had been staring blindly at. Probably trying to figure out where he was headed. What he had planned. What sneaky secret he had up his sleeve and what second agenda went along with it. He was Captain Jack Sparrow, after all.

But, truth be told, he was wanting to know just as much as they were where they were headed. God forbid, Jack had no plan. No plan A. No plan B, although, he rarely had one anyway. His incredible improvisation skills tended to carry him when on the rare occasion, his plan A failed him. No plan at all.

He knew that Samuel was after him. He knew that the Navy was after him. That ruled out Rhoding and Port Royal. He knew that both of his pursuers knew that Tortuga was the place he would most like to be out of anywhere at this moment in time. Hence, Tortuga being out of the question. Jack was not used to his usual destinations becoming off limits.

He realised it was now dark and that the cold was creeping in. Christina and Elizabeth headed below decks, both sending pointed glares in his direction. He forced a smug smile and fluttered his fingers tauntingly. They rolled their eyes and walked down the stairs. Jack stayed a little while longer until a long overdue stroke of genius struck him and a grin spread over his face.

"Gibbs!" he shouted sharply. The man scuttled from nowhere towards him, as though he had been eagerly awaiting his Captain's call. Jack eyed him, struck a little afraid by this.

"Aye, Cap'n. Where we be headed?" Mr Gibbs asked enthusiastically. Jack arched a brow. It seemed that he had been waiting.

"I'm just about t'go find out. Take the helm," Jack commanded.

"Any particular direction ye want her headed, Jack?" Mr Gibbs asked after his Captain as he left. Jack turned back swayingly and gestured widely with his hands.

"Where ever feels right, mate."

Mr Gibbs nodded, disappointed that Jack would still not let a word slip on his obviously incredibly clever idea.

Jack swaggered downstairs, a slight bounce in his steps as he headed for the Captain's Cabin. He rapped lightly on the door.

"Who is it?" Christina's voice came from inside.

Jack didn't bother to answer, just let himself inside. He smiled at Christina who lay on the bed, looking at him questioningly above the pages of the book she read.

"What do you want?" she asked bluntly.

"Why do ye assume I want somethin'?" Jack replied cheerily as he motioned to the book, "What're ye readin'?"

Christina checked the front cover, "The Twelfth Night."

Jack's eyes widened, "That's an original!"

He quickly strode to the bed and snatched the precious book away from her, checking it for any visible damage. Christina leapt up and snatched it back.

"You lost my page!" she cried in disappointment as Jack quickly retrieved the book back from her grasp and replaced it to it's chosen spot on his bookcase. He turned back to her, leaning against his desk and all smiles again now that his book was safe. Christina stared at him.

"I assume you didn't grace me with your presence just to disrupt my reading," she sighed, sitting back down on the bed.

"To assume is to make an ass of you and me," Jack said stirringly.

"How clever," Christina commented.

"I think so. I 'ave a question. Well, a favor to offer you. Like a wedding present fer yer non-existent weddin'," Jack flicked the air thoughtfully.

"Oh, someone remembered. How nice," Christina muttered. Jack lifted his brows and she shrugged.

"What's the favor? Are you going to tell me what you're up to?" she asked hopefully.

Jack pfted and she glared at him, "Then I have no wish to converse with you."

"No need to be so cold, luv. Didn't I tell ye I had a favor t'offer ye?" He waited for an excited expression to grace Christina's features. No such luck. "I'm goin' ta take ye where ever ye please fer as long as ye like... within reasonable boundaries, of course," he added as an after thought.

"What do you mean?" Christina frowned.

"What do ye mean, what do I mean? Where d'ye want t'go?" Jack smiled.

"I don't understand," Christina said softly.

"I hear New York is beautiful this time of year," Jack informed her.

"Jack, what are you up to?"

"Beijing? Rome? Paris? Ah, Africa, eh?"

"You're making no sense."

"I'm making as much sense as I can. Yer actin' daft," Jack chuckled. Christina frowned.

"I don't want to go anywhere. I mean I do. But not like that," she told him before narrowing her eyes knowingly, "Why did you suggest it?"

"Weddin' gift, remember?" Jack flicked his hand.

"I don't believe you... you don't have a plan, do you?" Christina accused.

Jack's eyes widened, "What makes you think that? 'Course I 'ave a plan. This is it."

"That's not a plan. You're passing the decision of where to dock onto me because you haven't got a plan," Christina smiled, "Thanks for the thought."

Jack started to deny her words profusely but then fell silent, defeated. She nodded her head, hiding a grin.

"Captain Jack Sparrow has run out of ideas."

"Have not."

Jack sat on the bed beside her. She sent him a side long glance that he caught harshly and she smirked.

"No need to be so cold, luv," Christina quipped of his earlier words and he smirked back sarcastically.

"If I were you, I would take full advantage of the situation and take us somewhere ridiculous," Jack muttered.

"Why, so that you can complain to me incessantly about my choice of destination when you're not in such insecure spirits? I don't think so," Christina shook her head, "The decision rests on your shoulders."

"Thanks fer ye support. I know ye try yer best," Jack replied dryly, making her giggle.

When her giggling didn't stop, Jack gave in and chuckled softly, if a little grudgingly. When the laughter subsided, Jack stared at her, her smile looking stunning in the golden light of the room. Instinctively, he leant closer and her smile slowly faded and her expression became a serious one. When she made no attempt to stop him, he place a finger under her chin and lifted her face towards his.

When their lips were so close that they could feel the static in the air between them, Christina opened her mouth, "Can I read the book now?"

Jack looked at her in suprise and pulled back slightly. He eyed her, waiting for her to laugh and say she was joking but instead she lowered her eyes and pulled away from his touch underneath her chin.

"'Course," Jack answered softly, raising himself from beside her and stepping over to the bookcase. He retrieved the expensive text and placed it gently in her outstretched hand. She gave a tight smile of thanks.

In utter confusion, Jack walked out the door and away from his cabin.

_Enough development fer t'night me thinks. Cheers fer takin' the time the time t'read. An' fer readin' this little footnote of mine. Rather pointless an' I jus' wasted yer time, so sorry 'bout that... I'll stop now... But I really am sorry, I 'ave no right t'waste yer time an' I realize that... Alright, really stopping now... Seriously._


	19. Any, Either Hand

_**I am in a silent an' pensive mood today so I shall be silent an' pensive. I will jus' tell ye tha' I 'ave an idea an' 'cause ye seem t'have none, ye shall not complain. Not a whine shall escape ye lips as ye read the next series of chapters, savvy? Good, settled.**_

"Ana Maria."

The woman lifted her head grudgingly to see her Captain standing before her with both hands behind his back. After a few moments, she realised that he had intended more than just to state her name to her and that he wasn't going to leave her alone until she gave him the affirmative that she was in fact listening. She lowered her book to her lap and lifted her brows impatiently.

"Wha' d'ye want, Jack?"

"Which hand?"

Her brows lowered considerably and a thought flickered across her mind that the man was conducting a deluded scientific experiment to determine that or if everyone was just as mad as he. He looked at her expectantly, she continued frowning at him.

"Pick a hand. Any hand," Jack prompted, jiggling his elbows impatiently, hands still hidden behind his back. She still frowned.

"Either," Ana Maria said plainly.

"Nay, ye 'ave t'choose, woman!" Jack snapped.

"I was correctin' ye, ye git. Ye only 'ave two hands so it's 'either'. If it's more than two, it's 'any'. Proper grammar, God forbid," Ana Maria sighed in explanation. Men were daft creatures.

Jack stared at her for a moment before rolling his eyes, "Pick a hand. _Either _hand."

"...Nay," Ana Maria replied suspiciously.

Jack frowned at her, shoulders slumping, "Why not?"

"If I jus' asked ye t'pick a hand, _either_ hand, would ye do it?" Ana Maria pointed out.

Jack paused, taking her words into account for a moment. Finally, after considering the thought of her asking of him what he was asking of her, he nodded in acceptance, "Aye, point taken." If she had asked him such a thing, it would probably have something to do with an elaborate plan to end his life and for her to take his place as Captain. He left her to her reading.

Ana Maria stared after his swaggering form for a moment before shaking her head and lowering her eyes to the book.

"Elizabeth."

Elizabeth turned her eyes from the horizon to see Jack heading in her direction purposefully. He had interrupted her searching for their destination... if they had one at all. What if, despite all this talk of Jack having an ingenious plan, he had none and they had no destination? What if the pirate had finally gone mad and had a disorder that made him want to pretend he was going somewhere important without really ever desiring to reach it? This thought and others like it had been on her worried mind over the last week or so that they had spent floating aimlessly.

Jack was mad. She was never going to make it off the Pearl.

She pursed her lips irritably, noting that his usually floating hands were clasped behind him. Although this unsettled her a little, she had come to accept that just about everything the pirate did, said or thought unsettled her and had learned to deal with it.

"Where are we going? Have you decided yet?" she asked urgently. Jack shook his head as he reached her.

"Pick a hand," he commanded without explanation.

"What has that got to do with anything? Why can't you just tell me where we're going?" she grumbled.

"It has everythin' t'do with it, my dear," Jack smiled encouragingly.

Elizabeth sighed, letting go of her resentment and eyed him thoughtfully. The fact that the pirate wanted her to 'pick a hand' really did not help his case of being sane in her mind. Rather deteriorated it completely to put it bluntly. True, to say that he had ever been sane would be to lie. But maybe over the years, his condition had gotten worse...

Jack was mad. Insane. Crazy.

After enough time for Jack to feel a little uncomfortable under her gaze, she asked, "Jack, have you considered the idea that you may be having a midlife crisis?"

Jack kept the same expression out of shock, save for his smile wavering a little, "I'm sorry?"

"I really am worried about you. You seem so... off beat lately. Not that you haven't always been. Just more than usual, I suppose. Have you considered ...speaking to a professional? It's not really as big of a deal as it seems. Lots of people do. I hear that therapy has tremendous benefits..."

As Elizabeth continued babbling, Jack's face fell lower and lower until it relaxed with exasperation. Why was everything so complicated with women? All he asked was that they picked a hand. Simple. The first one had refused for no real reason. Now this one accused him of being in need of professional guidance. He must ask a male next. Common sense.

"... not that I've ever needed therapy. I've been perfectly stable my whole life. Which is why I feel sorry for you, Jack. I don't think I could fully understand what you must go through everyday...," Elizabeth frowned as Jack turned and walked away. Indeed, the man was clearly disturbed. She went back to searching the horizon for a sign of land.

"Will."

Will looked up from his one sided chess game, "Yes, Jack?" Neither mentioned or acknowledged that a chess game with one player was rather odd and pointless.

"Pick a hand."

Will lowered his brows in puzzlement.

"...Why?"

"What is so difficult about picking a bloody hand fer cryin' out loud!" Jack shouted, stomping and flinging up his arms in frustration. He really had expected more from Will, of all people. An open mind. Some manly wisdom that told the lad that Jack was a fountain of knowledge and therefore should be trusted at all times. He turned away and shook his head in disgrace, about to leave.

Will, quite taken aback by the unexpected outburst, stared at him with wide eyes.

"...The right one."

Jack spun toward him hopefully, "Are ye sure?"

"As sure as I could be after being asked to pick a hand. What did I pick?" Will asked warily. Jack promptly reached out his right hand and placed a small twig on the chess board in front of him. Will blinked at the twig.

"Jack, ...you shouldn't have."

"You picked it, mate," Jack smirked joyously, flicking the air.

"What was the other choice?" Will inquired numbly.

Jack opened his left hand to reveal a length of potato peel that looked like it had seen better days.

"Did I get the good deal or the bad deal?" Will shook his head in puzzlement.

"Don't know," Jack replied as he left the cabin. Will stared after him for a long time before returning to his game.

"We're goin' ta Sparrow's Isle! Get movin'!" Jack barked from the middle of the deck. The crew stared blankly at him.

"Are ye all deaf as well as foul lookin'? Make sail fer Sparrow's Isle!" Jack commanded sharply. Hesitantly, the crew went about preparing to move and Jack moved to the side of the deck, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Gibbs!" he shouted to the man who had taken over the Sapphire for Ana Maria while she was on the Pearl.

"Aye, Cap'n!" The man sounded rather weary and bored. Fair enough, too. Being a temporary Captain without actually doing anything a Captain does would be rather unexciting.

"Follow the Pearl!"

"Aye, Cap'n!" Suddenly, with the mention of going somewhere, Jack could see Gibbs' wide grin from where he stood on the other ship.

Jack grinned as well when he turned and saw the activity on deck. It was as refreshing to him as it was to everyone else to be going somewhere.

Meanwhile, Christina had been awoken by all the shouting and was now grumpily making her way down the hall and mumbling under her breath about people not respecting other people's slumber enough these days as she stomped up the stairs to the deck. Momentarily blinded by the bright, late morning sun, she shielded her eyes futilely with her hand and regarded the activity on deck with a surprised arched brow.

Trying to ignore the nervous, uncomfortable feeling she got as she recalled the last night's close encounter, Christina strode purposefully towards the Captain.

"Jack."

Jack turned from the helm to see Christina looking at him expectantly and grinned. The woman looked like hell. Hair sticking up in random tuffs, eyes squinting sleepily and face pillow creased. Arms crossed over his bed creased white shirt that served as her nightwear as well as his coat hastily thrown over her shoulders.

Good to know that even the most perfect specimens of the human race were not so perfect in the morning.

"Hi, luv. Sleep well?"

"Where are we going?"

Jack smirked, "Good mornin' t'ye too."

"Where are we going?" Christina repeated in the same blunt tone.

"Sparrow's Isle."

"You have an island?"

"Doesn't ev'ryone?" Jack smirked, turning back to the helm.

"Hilarious. You have an island?" Christina muttered, rubbing her face groggily.

"Aye. I own the title of Governor. Charmin' place," Jack informed her airily, "Should be there by nightfall."

"Any reason we're going there?" Christina inquired, bored.

"Will chose the twig."

"I'm sorry?"

"We are going for a well deserved holiday, m'dear."

"So, no reason?"

"Christina, jus' because a man 'as no immediately apparent reason for going somewhere, it does not mean tha' he 'as no reason a'all," Jack told her patronizingly.

"No reason," Christina nodded. Jack smirked, defeated.

He regarded her for a moment longer, a knowing smirk on his lips and she scowled, "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothin'. 'Ave I ever told ye what a joy ye are in the mornin'? Shine brighter than the sun, ye do, luv."

Christina plastered on a sarcastically pleasant smile to match his own, "And have I ever told you what a comedian you are in the morning? Truly witty, you are."

He bowed his head in acceptance of the mocking compliment and she turned and left without giving him chance to insult her further. She could hear him laughing all the way down the stairs as she headed back to bed.

When she woke, it was yet again from the sound of shouting.

"Bloody pirates," she muttered, swinging her feet off the bed and sitting up. Noting it was dark, she quickly changed into a dress and straightened herself up then left the cabin in search of someone who could tell her what all the noise was about. She bumped into an irritated looking Ana Maria in the hall.

"Are we there yet?" Christina asked, stopping the woman.

"Aye, we're there. But it ain't fer the best. Jack 'as lost it, I tell ye," Ana Maria seethed before pushing by and slamming the door to her cabin shut behind her.

Christina paused in suprise, listening to the shouting outside. It sounded like ...a party. She could hear laughing and Jack's name being said several times along with 'marooned'. Maybe the crew had gotten a clue and over threw their insane Captain. Christina bit back a giggle at the cruel thought as she continued down the hall.

"An' 'ere is where Miss Elizabeth sat waitin' fer the Navy an' I almost shot the lass," Jack was laughing loudly with the crew on the beach of the strange island where the Pearl was docked a small distance off shore. Elizabeth shouted something abusive, indiscernible from where Christina stood.

Jack caught sight of Christina and signaled for her to come. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. She wouldn't even try to let down one of the row boats into the water if her life depended on it. Her sailor knowledge only went so far.

"Come on, Christina!" Jack shouted.

"Do you suggest I swim, you fool?" she shouted back although there was laughter in her voice now. She laughed more when Jack nodded. When she shook her head again and crossed her arms stubbornly, he made some dramatic gestures and murmured to the crew some comments, which Christina could only guess were incredibly sexist and discriminating. He then strode purposefully to the row boat already on the shore and pushed it out a little ways before getting inside it and rowing towards the Pearl.

He was grumbling when he positioned the boat alongside of the ship.

"Happy, lass?" he called up to her.

"You could have just woken me up before you left the first time," Christina replied dryly.

"Aye, but then ye wouldn' 'ave t'jump, would ye?" Jack grinned.

Christina's eyes widened, "I'm not jumping."

"Ye thought I was goin' ta get this boat up there jus' fer you? Jump, woman. The water's warm," Jack told her encouragingly. He had lied about the warm part but it was all for a good cause. Christina looked to the shore where the crew had started a bonfire and were presently dancing around it, joyously for being on land, however small and uninhabited.

"Jack...," she whined, grasping the Pearl's railing as though she would be dragged off it before she jumped.

"I'll catch ye," Jack told her. Both knew that such was impossible.

"How sweet," Christina replied sarcastically. She took a deep breath before tentatively lifting one foot over the side of the ship. Looking over her shoulder, down at the ink black water below, she lifted the other foot over and stood grasping the ship for dear life. After a few long moments of no movement, Jack frowned.

"Now ye 'ave ta actually get down 'ere, lass," he informed her gently. She glared fiercely down at him and he lifted his hands in surrender and silence. Taking another deep breath, Christina squeezed her eyes shut tight and loosened her grip on the Pearl. Reaching up a hand to hold her nose, she hesitantly stepped backwards into the air, landing with a loud splash below.

When she resurfaced, gasping and cursing, a short second later, Jack quickly rowed the boat towards her, a wide smile on his face.

"You lied!" she wheezed, grasping his outstretched hand.

"Actually, I was misinformed. I assumed the water was warm and told you so," Jack pointed out as he dragged her over the side of the boat. He resisted the urge to make comments of being qualified in resuscitating if needed and only smiled provokingly.

Christina gave him an icy scowl and he laughed, giving her his coat before making the row back to shore. Christina's teeth were chattering by the time that she stepped foot on the white sand and Jack led her to the fire to dry.

Looking around and seeing numerous bottles and mugs in the crew members' hands, Christina frowned, "I thought Elizabeth burned the rum?"

"Aye. Turns out there's cellars all over the place. I jus' didn' have time to find them the first time," Jack replied wistfully. Christina doubted he would've been in need or want of more rum in the two days he spent marooned there on his first visit and rolled her eyes.

After none to long, her attire was dry and she walked away from the fire to where Jack was demonstrating something obviously very amusing, judging by the audience's chuckling and clapping.

He appeared to be telling a story. Very elaborately.

"First, the man couldn' find his damned cutlass so he jus' yelled loudly tha' he was simply goin' ta free the kind people of their heavy money tha' they were luggin' around," he laughed, gesturing widely and attracting a guffaw from the crew.

"Understandably, the people were rather skeptical an' jus' stared at the lad...," Jack continued. He didn't notice that his audience was, one by one, becoming deathly quiet and wide eyed. He just continued obliviously, assuming that his story was so incredibly intriguing that it had rendered them all speechless.

The cause of the audience's stupor crept tactfully up behind Jack, their face obscured from the fire's light by his shadow.

"... An' then, t'top it all off, he pointed a gun at the goat's head. Threatin' a blasted goat of all things," Jack was saying, pointing his fingers in the shape of a firearm at his temple. He didn't even notice his audience's deathly silence and fearful stares.

The stealthy figure was now but a few feet from Jack, ironically, gun trained on his head.

Slowly, Jack stopped talking and stared at the stunned crew blankly, "What?"

"Fer God's sake, Jack, turn around," Ana Maria hissed urgently.

Jack obeyed and nearly fell over backwards before the blonde disheveled woman mouthed the word, "Freeze."

He held up his hands and did so, eyeing her cautiously, "Now, don't do anythin' rash, luv."

The woman smirked and held the gun pointed at the crowd of pirates who stood with their hands raised in the same signal of surrender.

She smiled.

_There ye go, it was a long chapter, wasn't it? Hope ye all didn' mind too much._

Novthoniel: _DON'T WORRY, LUV. Hitting the caps lock key happens t'even the very best of us. Even me, GOD FORBID. I shall 'ave t'read yer stories if ye've written any t'prove tha' anyone can do a helluva lot better than me own humble tale. The plot is lacking, the characters can be rather not in character an' ... well jus' me own opinion I 'spose. Glad ye like Christina, luv. Tell me where yer up to if ye get the chance._

ChaosLightning13: _Well, I took a look back an' tried t'find where I had misspelled 'lightning' but no such luck. I am sincerely sorry an' it shall never happen again. Sorry, I would end the story but yer pain an' agony is jus' so amusin' tha' I must continue, luv. Thankye fer reviewin' a good lot of me chapters. I love it when people do tha'. It makes me reminisce of wha's happened in the tale earlier. Cheers, luv._

AJ-Sparrow_: 'Allo there, lass. Ye shall 'ave t'wait a whiles more fer some sparks 'cause, unfortunately, me new plot idea consists of none. Fer now. Me thinks anyway. It's very flexible. Glad ye like the development. This one was a big Jack one, I quite enjoyed writin' it so I'm hopin' tha' ye all enjoyed readin' it too. Thankye kindly fer yer review!_

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _I don't think I've told yer how much I like yer name, lass. It's very clever. Shame on yer fer suggestin' they go t'France though. Jack was none too pleased. (Paris is very nice though) Aye, Ana Maria always is tryin' t'steal Jack's Captain...ness. 'Ave ta hand it t'her but. The lass 'as gall._

Forensic Photographer711: _Ah, she's back. 'Aven't heard from ye in a whiles, luv. Aye, Jack Sparrow without a plan was very fun to write. He was rather distraught but. Poor Jack. As fer the lack of ideas, highly understandable. I think I've sort of dug a hole an' jumped in. But 'ere's to gettin' out... or diggin' further. Either way..._

DemonSerabi: _Argh! A different language! ...Me thinks. Wha' was it, exactly? I'd guess but then I'd feel a tad foolish. Jack should've done somethin' ta Chris, aye. But he's a gentleman, lass... Well, he reckons such, anyways. Here's yer update, luv._

Ailuro: _Me deepest apologies a thousand times over an' more still. Me email is: The reason ye 'ave received no mail from me is 'cause I was rather hesitant at sendin' the mail 'ta when some poor other lass might get it if it was the wrong email. I'm dense like tha'. I'm Australian, ye see, so we don't 'ave AOL over 'ere so I got no screen name or nothin'. Oh heavens, AN ITALIAN PONY! I am ecstatic! Over the moon. An' when ye say 'we 'ave talkin' ta do' I get nervous. Am I in trouble of sorts? I didn't do it, I swear!_

Whims: _Glad ye liked chapter 17, luv. It was a blast ta write! No, Barbossa is dead. I cannot stand the man so he will be turnin' in his grave, knowin' tha' Chris is prancin' aroun' with Jack. Sod 'im. I shall try me damned hardest t'keep the story goin'. Even when ye beg me ta stop..._

Karibbean: _I'm pleased ye liked their disguises, Chris certainly didn't. Hope this was soon enough, luv._


	20. There's Something About Violet

_**7:30pm Have read Bridget Jones' Diary. vg. Have decided to become magnificent writer like the author. Have forgotten her name but irrelevant to point anyway. Point is that I shall spend all my time from now on important things. Not TV. Not reading tabloids. No more. Only important things will take up my time.**_

_**11:46pm Oh God. Do not know why let self think that could become magnificent writer. Pointless to try. Do not even own Bridget Jones' Diary anyway.**_

_**1:04am Am truly pathetic.**_

It was not everyday that Jack was threatened by a woman with a gun.

The first time had been when he was rather young. Fifteen, he recalled. He had been caught red-handed ridding her clothesline of her family's clothing. All for a good cause, of course. It had just been so long ago now that he could not remember the reason.

But it had been a good one.

Anyway, the lass, probably a few years older than himself had come out of the house unexpectedly, shouting angry obscenities and aiming a rifle at his head. She had come so close that the end of the barrel rubbed against his nose.

"Wha' the hell do y'think y'doin', boy?" she demanded sharply.

Jack chucked her a disarmingly charming grin and replied, "Me civil duties, luv. Very important an' highly secretive. So, if ye'll excuse me..." And he continued collecting shirts, pants, skirts and other various particles of clothing.

"Oi! Y'can't jus' take those, y'git!" the girl cried, a little caught off guard by his confidence in the contrary.

"Oh, I assure ye, I can. Be out o' yer way in but a few minutes," Jack informed her.

Somehow, within a few minutes as he had told her, he left with a laundry bag (kindly donated by the gun toting girl) full of clothes and went on his way to carry out the elaborate plan that had called for them.

When he was twenty-six, he had had the misfortune of being held up by a whore. As he was pulling on his attire, he had heard the clicking of a revolver being cocked. Feigning disinterest, he turned to find the lass pointing the weapon between his eyes.

"Wasn' really that bad, was it, luv?" he smirked.

"To the contrary, it was rather lacking. Give me yer valuables," the woman demanded.

"If it was in fact so lacking, why did ye not pull this stunt beforehand or even during?" Jack countered, making no action to indulge her request as he rebuttoned his shirt casually.

"'Cause tha' woul' be cruel. I ain't cruel. Hand over yer pouch. An' tha' pocket watch. An' those rings... Christ, an' any other bleedin' jewelry yer wearin'," she shook her gun impatiently at him.

With a long sigh, Jack rolled his eyes and obliged. He gave her what she asked for, appearing more calm and collected than he felt. Satisfied that she had cleaned him out, the woman left in a rush. Luckily for him, Jack had always made a habit of keeping spare coins in his boots in the case he should ever need it. True, this was the first time and the only time since that he had in fact needed it but he still decided the habit wise. He had enough to get himself to the next town and gather a crew.

He shuddered at the thought. The same crew that had marooned him on the island that he now stood on, being threatened yet again by another unstable female with a firearm. Jack figured that because his previous incidents of the same sort had not cost him his life, this one should not either. He gave a dashing smile in the blonde woman's direction, still holding his hands up in an unthreatening manner.

"Pretty gun ye got yerself, there, lass," he commented of the specially crafted, chrome plated ornate revolver she clasped. He noted that a cutlass also hang from her belt. A female pirate. Always an amusing sort.

"Thanks," she spat.

"Yer sure ye know how t'handle one of those, luv?" Jack checked as unpatronisingly as he could.

He wasn't very successful, made obvious by the woman's sour glare, "I know how to handle a gun, thankyou." She motioned towards the Pearl with a shrug of her shoulders, "That's the Black Pearl. Where's the Captain?"

Jack looked around, smiling and nodding pleasantly at everyone else before proudly stepping forward, "Tha' would be me."

The blonde woman narrowed her electric blue eyes disbelievingly, "_You're_ Captain Jack Sparrow?"

Jack flicked the air in an attempted flair of humility, "The one an' only."

"But you're short," the woman frowned, lowering her gun a fraction in suprise. Jack's eyes widened with offense.

"I'm sorry?"

The woman offered an apologetic smile, "Just expected you to be bigger, s'all."

Jack turned to glare at Elizabeth and Christina whom he could hear snickering softly. Christina bit her lip and Elizabeth averted her eyes to with hold their laughter.

Jack turned back to the intruder defiantly, "An' what business d'ye have on me island anyway?"

She lifted her brows in suprise, "Your island? I'm sorry, Sparrow, but this is _my_ island."

Choosing not to correct her lack of referring to him by his title as she did, after all, hold a gun, Jack pfted, "Yer suggestin' that I do not own an island named 'Sparrow's Isle'? Who named it that then, I wonder?"

"If you do own an island named after yourself, it ain't this one. This island is 'Paraíso del Cobre'. I know. I named it myself," she retorted airily.

Jack's eyes widened, "Cobre, ye say?"

The blonde woman's brows lowered, "Aye. What's it t'ye?"

"Cobre as in Copper as in Captain Violet Copper of the Fire Song?" Jack elaborated, for some reason intrigued.

She cocked her head in suprise, "Aye."

"Wha' the hell are ye doin' 'ere, lass? Where's yer ship?" Jack asked incredulously. The rest of the crew looked on blankly, having never heard the name of the woman nor the ship.

"I don't know," she spat bitterly of the location of her ship, "Me crew left me 'ere a few days ago. Overturned by me first mate. A man," she added venomously.

Jack's eyes widened further, "They marooned _you_?"

Still keeping her gun up, the woman nodded angrily. Jack glanced at it and smirked.

"So were yer plannin' on commandeerin' me ship then, eh?"

She blushed slightly and slowly lowered the gun, "Sorry."

A collective sigh of relief was heard behind Jack from the crew, making him conscious of them once again. He turned and gestured at them, "That's me crew. Men, this is Violet."

Christina, Elizabeth and Ana Maria rolled their eyes at their femininity being forgotten by the pirate.

Jack remained oblivious to this and turned back to Violet, "Ye hungry, luv?"

Fifteen minutes or so later, food and water had been fetched from the Pearl and Violet was eating hungrily by the fire. The crew flocked around her curiously, asking the woman random questions. Christina noted all too many leery sideways grins exchanged by the men, all drawn to Violet who, although a little messy and dirty from being on the deserted island for days, was still classically beautiful with her sun kissed blonde hair, laughing blue eyes and toned, curvy form.

Elizabeth, Ana Maria and Christina watched, chins resting on their hands, from the other side of the fire.

"Pathetic, isn't it? How a pretty girl can make men into babbling fools?" Elizabeth sighed, eyeing Will who laughed with Violet about something Jack was saying.

"These lot were already babblin' fools, lass. The pretty girl 'as jus' made it all the more clearer to onlookers," Ana Maria corrected her. Elizabeth and Christina nodded in agreement.

"She not even really _that _pretty...really," Christina commented, trying to find an imperfection on the perfect topic of conversation.

"Aye. She's too... well, there's tha' thing near 'er mouth," Ana Maria pointed out.

"No, that was a bit of food. Jack's getting it for her now," Elizabeth said.

Christina perked up at this. She looked across to see Jack reach out a hand and gently brush the food from Violet's face. Violet smiled and ducked her head in thanks. Christina scowled.

"Something wrong, Chris?" Elizabeth asked with a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.

"No," Christina spat.

Ana Maria shot Elizabeth a questioning look.

"Chris and Jack kissed at the party," Elizabeth explained.

"Liz!" Christina cried, pinching her cousin's arm hard. Elizabeth yelped and rubbed her arm protectively while Ana Maria now smiled.

"So ye like, Jack?" she asked.

"No!" Christina spluttered. Elizabeth and Ana Maria nodded in mock agreement. Christina rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to bed," she informed them haughtily.

"Wuss," Elizabeth accused as she left.

"Jack, I want to go back to the Pearl," Christina informed the laughing Captain. Jack and Violet looked up at her from where they sat on the sand.

"Violet, this's Christina. She's Gov'nor Swann's niece. Christina, Violet," Jack introduced politely, his words merging together as he slurred. Christina offered a tight forced smile at Violet and looked at Jack expectantly.

He looked expectantly back at her, "The boat's jus' over there, luv." He pointed at the row boat a few dozen feet away on the shore. Christina stared at him incredulously.

"Jack, I can't get there by myself. The boat had to get back here for the rest of you," Christina reminded him impatiently.

"Oh, quite right. I'nt she a clever lass?" Jack smiled at Violet and Christina bit back the urge to smack him over the head... Over and over again. Jack jumped to his feet, a little to quickly, and grabbed Christina's arm to keep him from tumbling back to the ground. Once he had righted himself, he looked around this way and that, the beads in his hair clattering with the movement.

"Gibbs!" he called.

Mr Gibbs ambled over, flask in hand. He grinned at Violet before answering, "Aye, Cap'n?"

"Escort Christina back t'the Pearl," Jack commanded. Christina frowned at him.

"Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs agreed.

"Be sure to keep Violet company," Christina told Jack sarcastically.

He lifted a finger and tapped the side of his nose, "But, o' course."

Christina turned on her heel and followed after Mr Gibbs. Trust Jack to think that she had shared with him his less than honorable insinuation. What made him even think he should share it with her? She scowled all the way back to the Pearl, the whole time it took for Mr Gibbs to raise the boat and all of her walk down the stairs and hall to the Captain's Cabin.

Grumbling, she changed back into her night shirt and climbed into bed. Before she fell asleep, she decided that Violet was not well liked in her books.

XxXxX

xXxXx

It was late in the afternoon before Christina was alive to the world again. And she was less than pleased to find that she had been sharing her bed with someone else.

"Jack!"

The pirate showed no sign of hearing her, deep in his slumber.

"Jack, you bloody pirate!" Christina spat, elbowing him hard in the ribs. As if from a centuries long, pleasant nap, Jack gradually awoke. He grinned at Christina's glare.

"'Afternoon, luv."

"What are you doing in my bed?"

"Violet took mine."

"Violet's on the Pearl?" Christina hissed. Sleeping had done no good. The woman was still around.

"Aye. Wha' ye'd rather we 'ad left 'er on the island?" Jack smirked, still making no move to get out of her bed. Christina resisted the urge to nod violently and just gave him a pointed look.

"Ye don' even know the lass an' ye'd prefer her dyin' on a deserted island. Explain t'me how that works," Jack said dryly.

Christina refused to answer. Although she had nothing to say anyway. She looked out of the small window on the wall opposite her and frowned at seeing that the clouds were moving by at an unusually fast rate.

"We're moving."

"Aye."

"Where are we going?"

"T'get Violet's ship back."

Christina turned to him abruptly, "_What_?"

"What can I say? I've got a charitable heart," Jack smiled crookedly.

"Do you even know where her crew is?" Christina asked.

"She thinks they may 'ave gone t'London," Jack shrugged.

"She thinks? Fantastic," Christina muttered.

The door opened quietly and Violet appeared timidly, "Sorry, but where's the kitchen?"

Jack, immediately attentive, sat up grinning, "'An why would ye want t'know somethin' like that, luv?"

"Well, I was planning on getting myself some lunch, if that's alright," Violet replied smilingly.

"Is that so? I think it woul' be less than gentlemanly t'let a lady get herself some lunch on me own ship," Jack informed her. Christina lifted her brows in suprise. This was a new establishment that she hadn't had the pleasure of taking advantage of.

"I assure you I can get it myself," Violet insisted coyly.

Christina resisted the urge to curl her lips in distaste at the annoyingly innocent exchange that the two found so amusing.

"I'll be 'avin' none of that, lass. Let's get yer some food, aye?" Jack swung out of bed and reached for his hat before leaving the room.

He stuck his head back around the door and asked nonchalantly, "Did ye want anything, Christina?"

Christina shook her head numbly and Jack left.

_Chapter 20. I'm feelin' rather old. An' I know tha' there will be some abuse t'come after this chapter bu' don' say I didn' give ye all a chance t'give me ideas. This is wha' happens, people. An' by the way, the odd note up the top was a bizarre way of recommendin' ye read Bridget Jones' Diary. Hilarious stuff._

Ailuro: _Luv, I am gettin' the distinct feelin' tha' ye don't read these replies at the bottom of me chapters. I did give ye me email in the las' one. Anyways, I shall send yer an email, jus' t'check tha' I got the right address an' all. I am 99.9999 sure tha' they would've had mental health professionals in the 1700s. 'Twas not the stone age, after all. I be very eager t'hear yer ideas. I 'ave a few flimsy ones tha' I could pull through with but I would much like somethin' stable an' clever. After I 'ave posted this, I am goin' ta email ye. If ye don't get it, I'm daft an' sent it to some other soul._

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Hello, luv. Ye lost me a bit after the moon an' such but still, I think I got most of it! Aye, Jack is glad tha' ye see the error in ye wantin' 'im ta take 'em all ta Paris. He's settled down a bit now. Was quite irrate. An' he agrees 'bout Sparrow's Ilse. Though he is less than thrilled 'bout this Violet lass layin' claim to it. No matter how attractive she be._

ChaosLightning13: _Aye, all wonderin'. 'Tis good fun, 'avin' yer readers wonderin'. I think they all went silent because the wonderin' be so intense tha' they lost their tongues fer the moment... Killer Kangaroos, aye? Ain't seen one o' those yet. Sound dangerous so I hope I sha'nt._

Forensic Photographer711: _Think I'm still gettin' out o' tha' hole now, luv? Ha. I think I shall be expectin' the death threats ta come rollin' in as soon as I post this! Glad ye liked the grammar thing. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes t'things like tha' so I was really correctin' me own typin'. Don' tell anyone._


	21. The Art Of Turning Green

_**I 'aven't really got anythin' interestin' ta say so wha' the hell. Let's jus' go fer an' ol' trusty discaimer, eh? I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or most of the characters in this story. Savvy?**_

"An' so I'd like to thank the kind Captain for his incredible hospitality an' assistance," Violet crowed, holding a mug of rum above her head.

There was a hearty roar from the crew in agreement before they drank to the toast. Jack unsteadily stood as Violet sat back down, lifting his own mug. He frowned at it, noticing that there was but a mouthful inside.

"Where's me rum?" he shouted drunkenly. Slowly, a bottle was passed up the table towards it's owner, losing some of it's contents to spillages on the table but mostly to the mouth of the man holding it at the time. "Careful! Stop stealin' me drink, ye selfish git!" Jack exclaimed, clenching his fists nervously until the heaven sent bottle finally reached him. Promptly, he refilled his mug and was ready to make his toast.

"Well, I fer one woul' like t'thank Violet fer once again, provin' wrong Joshamee's theory of a woman on board bein' bad luck!"

The crew laughed at Mr Gibb's who rolled his eyes. All took a couple of swigs of rum.

Christina had been turning in her bed for the past three hours that the toasting had been going on. Sleep was impossible when pirates were drinking. For some reason, they insisted on the activity being a very loud one. Pulling her pillow over her head, Christina attempted to drift off again.

Back at the festivities, Mr Cotton stood, a huge, open grin on his tongueless mouth. Seeing this, Jack resisted the urge to curl his lips in disgust and put on his most welcoming smile.

"Walk the plank, ye scurvy rats! Swash swash, buckle buckle!" Mr Cotton's parrot squawked, flapping it's wings furiously.

The crew fell silent despite Mr Cotton's continual grinning.

After a few long moments of silence, Jack cleared his throat and raised his mug towards the mute man, "Beautifully said. May it be so." The crew muttered in confused affirmative and drank from their mugs hesitantly. Satisfied, Mr Cotton sat back down.

Mr Gibbs stood and the crew cheered in approval of the idea of someone able to speak making a sensible toast.

"T'the Cap'n bein', once again, a common criminal. None of this clemency business 'ny more. We all know that he's a scoundrel of the worst!"

The crew laughed and Jack frowned at them all before breaking into a devious grin and downing some rum with them all.

Christina threw the pillow to the floor and swung her feet out of the bed abruptly. She sat there in the darkness of the cabin for a moment, seething inwardly at the rowdy crew down the hall. When all of her deathly thoughts focused on the lot of them did nothing she growled and stepped purposefully out of the bed. She threw open the doors of the wardrobe and retrieved one of Jack's coats to put over her shirt and slammed them closed again. Taking a deep breath, she stalked out of the room, towards the offending ruckus.

"Christina! Finally come to join the celebration, eh?" Jack called out joyfully when he spotted her scowling in the doorway. Deciding it senseless for her to try and answer over the crew's noise, she marched angrily towards him, coming to a stop to sit in the empty space of bench beside him so that he could hear every word of her rage filled lecture. Violet noticed this with a sideways glance from where she sat a few spaces down, on the opposite side of the table from the two.

"Did it occur to you at all that people might be trying to sleep, Jack?" Christina demanded huffily.

"On a beau'iful night like this, luv? Nay, can't say it did," Jack grinned, intoxicated to the point of immense and unexplainable happiness.

"Well, I was! And I can't with all this noise," Christina informed him, shoulders sagging upon realizing that the only person in the room that was not drunk out of their mind was the last one who entered. Her.

"Wha' noise?" Jack frowned, "Are ye ...alrigh', Christina?"

"I'm fine!" she spat bitterly.

Jack nodded, unconvinced. Suddenly, and very disturbingly to Christina, his eyes lit up with an idea that could only be a bad one. Christina watched in horror as he stood to get the crew's attention. He was successful, Christina noted sadly.

"Christina 'ere want's t'make a toast!" Jack roared happily. Christina shook her head violently and tugged his arm, urgently trying to get him to sit back down. Her efforts went unnoticed. Jack smiled encouragingly down at her, pulling her up gently but firmly by her elbow. Looking around, he frowned.

"Where's yer drink, luv?" he whispered.

"I haven't got one. I just came here, you fool," Christina replied through clenched teeth.

"Someone get the lass a drink!" Jack called as though pleading for medical assistance. He turned back to her, seemingly unable to focus, "Ye can't make a toast without a drink, luv."

"Thanks for letting me know," Christina hissed and he nodded, patting her back to let her know she was welcome. Soon enough, a mug was shoved into Christina's hand and Jack sat down to let her have the stage. Christina gulped at the expectant faces of the crew. And Violet, whom she could've sworn to be smirking. Damn her.

"Jack, don' put the girl on the spot. I'm sure she's not used t'havin' t'speak her mind. Livin' in Governor Swann's house an' all. There's maids tha' have tha' job, I'm sure," Violet giggled and those around her laughed loudly. Christina narrowed her eyes murderously at the blonde pirate who smiled back at her innocently.

That was it.

Taking a deep breath, Christina lifted her mug, "To... the Pearl... and her crew..." A pathetic start to be sure. She swallowed and continued anyway. "... And to the Captain, of course. To finding Violet's_ boat_..." Yes, the 'boat' reference had been on purpose and Violet seemed to have her feathers ruffled by it. Christina resisted a grin and kept going, digging her hole deeper for the hell of it, "Let's all hope we find it, eh? Like most Captains would be in the same position, I'm sure, Violet seems to be _nothing_ without her _boat_. And as pleasurable as her company is, I'm sure her own crew misses her... Oh no, that's right. Sorry," Christina apologized with a tiniest of tiny smiles curling her lips, "Silly me. But anyway, as I said, to finding Violet's boat!"

The toast was followed by a very heavy silence that rung throughout the Pearl. Finally, the crew swigged rum in agreement, chatting uncomfortably amongst themselves to banish the piercing quiet. Violet and Christina stared at eachother throughout all of this until a suddenly sober Jack stood, grabbed Christina's arm and led her out of the room.

"But I didn't even get a chance to drink to it," Christina protested as they left.

"What was that about, Christina?" Jack hissed once they were a safe distance away.

"I made a toast," Christina shrugged. It was true.

"Aye, and what a charming toast it was," Jack agreed sarcastically, "A little uncalled fer though, don't ye think?"

Christina lifted her brows, "Did you not hear what she said?"

"She was joking, Christina. It's what drunk pirates do," Jack replied listlessly.

"So I had no right to be offended, right?" Christina spat, "Because she's a drunk pirate?"

"Ye say it like it's a bad thing," Jack smirked. His eyes widened innocently when Christina pierced him with a fierce scowl, "Aye, ye did. But ye didn' have t'do that, luv."

"You left me no choice but to make a toast-"

"Aye, a toast. About the crew. 'Bout the weather even. Hell, somethin' about the King would've made fer good entertainment at least. But ye humiliated her in front of everyone instead," Jack interrupted.

"I wouldn't say I humiliated her. Everyone knew it already," Christina reminded.

"But ye didn' have t'rub it in. It wasn' a very nice thing t'do," Jack said simply.

"And since when have you been worried about nice things to do, Jack?" Christina chuckled. Jack lifted his brows with feigned holiness.

"I 'ave always been concerned about such things, luv."

"Right," Christina nodded with wavering seriousness, "Always. Since you met Violet and decided you wanted to bed her."

Jack's eyes widened in suprise, "My, you are quite the charmer t'night, aren't ye?"

Christina rolled her eyes and started to walk away.

"Yer jealous, aye?"

Christina froze, wondering if the voice had been Jack or some celestial being that had been watching her all her life and chose now as the opportune moment to intervene and voice it's opinion. After weighing up the possibilities for a few seconds, she decided the earlier as the most likely.

"Excuse me?" she asked as she turned to see Jack, baring his teeth in his most cocky grin.

"Yer jealous."

"That's ridiculous. What could I possibly have to be jealous of?"

"Yer jealous of Violet 'cause I've been payin' her attention. S'obvious, luv."

"You are way to full of yourself for your own good, Jack."

"Don' go puttin' this on me, Christina. Yer the one who's turning green at this very moment," Jack replied smirkingly.

For a very, very short and shameful split second, Christina had the immense fear that she was in fact turning green with envy. She slapped herself inwardly for such foolishness as, a.) turning green with envy was impossible in the first place and b.) it was doubly impossible for her as she was not envious. She eyed Jack with hostility.

"What on earth gave you the impression that I was jealous of Violet?"

"First, there's the fact tha' ye've barely uttered a word t'the lass at all, save fer t'night."

Christina shrugged in acceptance.

"Then there's ye lookin' yearningly at me all the time-"

"I do not! That's a lie!" Christina spluttered and Jack grinned, mid counting his clues on his fingers, casually stepping closer.

"Ye keep tellin' the crew how dashingly handsome I am-"

"Jack!"

"Ye keep tryin' kiss me all the time-"

"You tried to kiss me!" Christina cried at the false accusation. She gulped when she picked up on just how close the pirate was to her now. He chuckled, noticing her sudden nervousness.

"Ah, yer right," he whispered. He quickly sought out her mouth before she could protest. Feeling a lack of being sharply pushed away or slapped across the cheek, Jack took the opportunity to kiss her deeper, entwining a lock of her hair around one of his fingers to keep her there for a moment longer.

Christina tasted the rum on Jack's breath as his lips parted hers. She tensed as she felt his hand roaming her back and the other entangling itself in her hair. But she kissed him back. Out of obligation, her mind reasoned. Her mind, for once and suprisingly, was in favor of her and Jack. Taking this into account, she lifted her hand to his face encouragingly. She felt him grin and pull her impossibly closer. The hand that had been freely roaming her back now crawled slowly towards the buttons of his jacket and she laughed into his mouth.

Suddenly, the two became aware that the door where they had come from was opening and Christina moved to pull back. However, she found herself incapable to do so. Once she discovered why, she hissed at Jack, "Let go of my hair!"

"Let go of me hand!" Jack yelped back as Violet and Mr Gibbs approached. The two who had been caught widened their eyes in shock. Jack's hand, or more notably, his numerous rings, had become caught in Christina's hair during the encounter.

"What's happenin' 'ere?" Mr Gibbs inquired lightly when he saw the odd postion Jack and Christina were in that prohibited the two from standing more than a few inches away from eachother.

Jack fished for an excuse that would save him receiving a slap from either of the women present, "Well... I was jus'... helpin' Christina with her hair."

"She was havin' trouble?" Violet smirked and Christina turned her head to glare at her but instead yelped in pain when she found she couldn't.

"Aye. She wanted me t'show her how the ladies do their hair in... Singapore," Jack improvised as more of the crew appeared, looking amused by the show.

"Looks painful," Ana Maria grimaced as she emerged from her cabin groggily. The crew murmured in agreement, studying the odd angle at which Christina had to hold her neck to minimise her discomfort.

"Nay, Ana. On the contrary. 'Sposed t'be rather calming," Jack informed her. Christina had to bite her lip to stop from correcting him.

"Would everybody be quiet... Jack. What are you doing to Chris?" Elizabeth frowned sleepily as she stepped out of her cabin, Will close behind. Christina rolled her eyes. Just her luck that the one time she was not intoxicated and decided to let Jack kiss her, the whole ship knows about it.

"Showin' her how they do hair in Singapore," Violet offered quickly.

"Singapore?" Will repeated in puzzlement.

"Aye. A long an' tryin' progress. I'm only half way done. I'll call ye all when I'm finished but fer now I need me artistic space," Jack announced. Slowly, grudingly, the audience dispersed.

Jack let out a shout of pain when Christina kicked him angrily in the shin.

"You bloody pirate! I knew nothing good could come of a man wearing so much jewellery!" Christina groaned as he led her carefully back to the Captain's Cabin. After a good fifteen minutes of no progress, Christina started to sob.

"I'm stuck to a pirate forever!"

"Why is that such a bad thing?"

"Can't you take the bloody rings off?"

"Ye see, I would. If doing so would not result in the removal of the hair from your scalp."

Another sob sounded from Christina and Jack sighed.

"It's almost out. Not too long now, luv," he soothed.

"Liar," Christina accused bitterly as she sniffled.

Jack let the insult slide and continued gently untangling his hand from her hair. Soon, the sobs subsided and Christina settled down, drawing in a sharp breath when Jack would pull a wrong strand of hair. He would apologise softly and keep going in slience. She was drifting off to sleep when he finished.

"All done, luv. Didn' I tell ye it wouldn' be long?" he asked triumphantly, ignoring the contradicting fact that first light was showing itself over the horizon outside.

"Liar," Christina mumbled. She pretended to not notice when he climbed underneath the sheets beside her, quite exhausted himself. She carefully removed the arm that he had snaked around her waist and he didn't place it back.

Until he was sure she was asleep.

_An' that's the end of chapter 21. Please take the time t'let me know if ye enjoyed it as reviews 'ave been lackin' lately an' it makes me sad... _

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Jack is very glad tha' once again ye seem t'see things from his perspective! 'Cept fer the fact tha' he is obviously rather fond of Violet. An' he is on t'the trail of Violet stealin' his rum. He appreciates the tip off greatly. Best wishes t'yerself too, lass. From the Cap'n an' me._

ChaosLightning13_: Ah, tha' certainly explains a lot. Sort of. Well not really bu' at lest I've been informed, right? I'm glad the Jaffa warriors aren't tryin' ta kill me. I was rather concerned 'bout that._

Whims: _Nay, lass, Jack ain't dead! He's alive an' kickin' so ye can relax. AYE! AUSTRALIANS RULE! Never said better, luv. Yer definately in me good books fer tha'._

Forensic Photographer711: _There's ye new chapter, lass. Hope ye weren't waitin' too long. Aye, ye 'ave read into things, aven't ye? S'alright. It's the between the lines things tha' the readers 'ave t'make their minds up about. Hope ye liked this edition, luv._

Natalie: _Ah, someone who's read Bridget Jones! Hope ye liked me attempt at it. Think some people took it more seriously than it was meant though. Oops. I'm goin' ta assume this was quickly._

angedemusica: _Don't worry, luv. The writin' was jus' in the style of the book, s'all. I didn' really mean it all. Quite the opposite, I can be rather full of meself at times an' it drives others up the wall but ye get that. Thankye fer encouragin' me anyways. An' I hope ye'll continue readin'._

Karibbean: _Aye, jealousy is the name of th' game, luv. An' Christina is the main player. Hope ye liked the chapter_.

PirateLass1963: _Well, thank the heavens she's holdin' back the pitchfork. How truly kind of ye! Ha. See? Jack's attention is still on Christina, much t'Violet's delight, obviously (Note sarcasm). Aye, I hope Jack an' Chris and up t'gether too but it all depends on how I'm feelin' at the time! An' the jealousy phase is still in high gear. This chapter jus' needed closure 'cause I felt sorry fer Christina._

Ailuro: _Ah! I knew there was another term fer kitchen. I'd correct it but it's 1:34am an' I jus' got home from work. I liked tha' line too!_


	22. Christina Lacimore, PI

_**Hello again, all. I 'ave some things ta clear up. Firstly, it is my belief tha' the Tower of Terror is of the devil. An' secondly, an' this ain't blasphemin', although Johnny Depp is the most handsome actor aroun', Leonardo Dicaprio is the most talented. It must be said. An' if ye disagree,... I shall be very disappointed in all of ye. Well, not really, bu' I jus' thought I shoul' let it be know where I stood on these very important issues facin' today's society. Ta.**_

It was a very rare occasion that Jack Sparrow would rise early. Unlike his namesake, he would give most everything up for a few more minutes of slumber in the morning. Forget the worm. An early bird, he was not. And God help the poor crew member that was sent to wake him. But, on this day, he was pleased to find that he had stirred before the woman with whom he was sharing the bed with, Christina.

True that, even with his sleeping in ways, while he was on land it was likely that he would wake before his female companion. So that he could make his exit without a fuss, without being asked where he was going and when he would be coming back; if he was coming back. So that he wouldn't have to see their face fall when he informed them that he was leaving on the Pearl that morning. So that he wouldn't have to endure physical abuse at the hand of the woman who would not accept his excuses. But this blessed morning was one, or maybe the only, very out of the ordinary mornings that he was not in a rush to get as far away as possible from that companion.

He smirked. And this companion was not even awake to realize that she, among a considerable number of women, was fortunate enough to have him stay around. But that was fair enough, considering that she had had a strange man's hand attached to her hair for half the night. She had a right to be exhausted and oblivious to her luck.

After stretching apathetically, Jack slipped silently out of the bed, careful not to wake the softly snoring Christina. He pulled on his coat groggily, feeling the faint after effects of too much alcohol the night before. With a last look over his shoulder at the woman in his bed, he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him and making his way down the hall to the galley for some early breakfast.

He was taken aback to find that someone had risen before himself and uttered the greeting, "'Mornin', Violet."

The blonde woman looked up from her plate of fruit and grinned happily, "Hello, Jack."

"It's early," Jack commented as he paced the room to the stove and lit it.

"I could tell you the same thing," Violet shot back playfully, "I would have assumed you to be asleep at such an ungodly hour."

"Ah, see, that's where ye would be wrong. I've found that if there is a god, it is at this hour that he is at his most godliest," Jack informed her haughtily, "I am often awake, deep in prayer at this time."

Violet rolled her eyes, "How spiritual of you."

Jack smirked as he rummaged through random cupboards in search of food.

"Can I help?" Violet asked lightly, lifting herself from her seat.

"I'm looking fer those... grains that the cook cooks fer breakfast... with water... an'...er," Jack mused as he sifted through the various packages and crates closer to the ground.

"Oats?" Violet offered as she knelt down beside him.

"Ah! Aye! Oats!" Jack cried triumphantly.

"Would this be them?" Violet asked, holding a sack in her hands.

"Aye," Jack nodded, grabbing for the sack and ignoring the fact that their finger tips made contact when she handed it over. He stood to his feet and walked back to the stove. After a moment, he slowly turned back, hands raised mid air as he searched his mind for a word.

"The pot. I need the pot," he finally realised before jumping into action again.

"You don't make breakfast very often, do you?" Violet chuckled.

"That's not true," Jack replied, feigning hurt. After a few moments of her arching her brow at him disbelievingly, he swept his arms defeatedly, "... It depends on what ye class as very often."

Violet nodded with a smile and helped him look for the pot. She stole a glance at him as they rummaged through a deep drawer, "Christina's hair turn out nice?"

Jack shot her a suprised look back and continued searching, "I can definately say that the Singaporeans would be envious. It's a work of art."

"Really? ...So that's why it took all night?" Violet pressed.

Jack cleared his throat, stalling. "Aye. When I say work of art, it could pass as a masterpiece," he replied in an attempt to brush off the subject. He let out a shout of victory when he spotted the pot. Violet followed him as he crossed back to the stove. After a few moments of silence as Jack prepared his breakfast, he cleared his throat, "We'll be in London in the next couple o' hours."

"Aye," she nodded. Jack watched as she sobered and averted her eyes to the old wooden countertop.

"Somethin' wrong, luv?" he asked, concern lowering his brows.

Violet shook her head and then sighed. "If my ship ain't in London, I'm lost. I haven't got anything else. I don't know what I'll do without it," she told him sadly.

Jack, feeling empathy at the thought of losing the Black Pearl, lifted her chin with his finger, "We'll find yer ship, Violet. If it ain't in London then we'll go somewhere else. An' if it ain't there, we'll keep lookin' until we find it, savvy?"

Violet smiled softly at him for a moment before drawing her arms around him and pulling him into an unexpected embrace. Awkwardly, Jack returned the hug. He bit the inside of his cheek when he went to pull back and she did not do the same. Obligated and rolling his eyes, he held her longer.

"Oh," he heard her utter in guilty suprise as she suddenly pulled back. Looking for the cause, he turned to see Christina standing in the doorway. At a loss for words, she stared at him, jaw agape and the mirror image of himself. After a heavy silence, Christina quickly ducked away without a word.

Violet grabbed Jack's arm when he went to follow her, "Wait!" Jack turned back to her questioningly and she shrugged sheepishly, pointing at the stove, "Your oats will burn."

XxXxX

Christina regarded the busy docks of London apprehensively. The Pearl had arrived but a few minutes ago and she already felt the urgency to leave.

"You're going to visit your parents while we're here?" Will asked from behind her. She jumped with fright before turning to him, embarrassed.

"Yes. I was going to start with, "Well, we were just passing through. We being me, Will and Elizabeth and the crew. Oh, and the pirate who supposedly kidnapped me and then returned me. The same pirate with whom I then ran off with on the day of my wedding which had already been cancelled when he kidnapped me before. Just wanted to say hello". What do you think?" she asked sarcastically.

"Considering everything, I think that might just work," Will replied, playing along.

"Oh, good. I'll be on my way then," Christina nodded, making no move to leave as Will chuckled.

"Are you going to help the search for the Fire Song?" he inquired lightly.

"Of course. I was planning on leading the mission," Christina smirked.

Will arched a brow at her bitterness and she shook her head, signaling for him to ignore her. He looked up as Elizabeth approached, still in her night gown, "Aren't you coming, Liz?"

Elizabeth sniffed and crossed her arms, "I don't see why I should. We don't even know if Violet's ship is really here in the first place. It's a wild goose chase. Pointless."

Will nodded slowly, deciding wisely that his wife's strong opinions on the subject were best left unchallenged. He rolled his eyes when Ana Maria came from below decks, also seemingly unprepared to look for the Fire Song. "I suppose you won't be joining us either, Ana?" he called to her.

Ana Maria flicked her hand at him, as though the fact was completely obvious, in response.

"We leave in a half hour," Jack reported loudly as he also emerged from below decks, putting on his hat. Christina turned away to face the docks upon laying eyes on him.

This was rather fortunate. Or unfortunate, depending on how you would class the events that followed on from this one action. For it was as she was staring blindly at the docks that Christina was distracted by a long, blonde haired head bobbing hurriedly through the crowds. With brow creased, Christina's eyes followed the movement, watching as Violet hastened away from the Pearl, pushing her way urgently past the Londoners that graced the street close to the harbor. Making a quick and silent decision, Christina cast a single glance over her shoulder at those on the Pearl before travelling hastily down the gangplank and following after the female pirate.

It was to Christina's advantage that Violet was considerably tall and hence, easier to follow through the busy streets. Ignoring the fact that she was getting more lost by the footstep, Christina matched Violet's speedy pace at a safe distance behind. She dodged the worried glances that the pirate threw over her shoulder, she guessed for fear that she was being followed. Or women's intuition that told her she was being followed. Either way, Christina did not give Violet a glimpse of herself, ducking below the eye level of those in front of her, hiding behind a large, unsuspecting gentleman and, on one urgent occasion, borrowing a young woman's umbrella as a shield.

She followed through so many sharp turns that she would be at a loss if asked to count. As main streets became side streets and less busy, she had to lag behind quite a while and quiet her heeled steps on the cobble roads. By now, she was out of breath and wondering if this had been such a good idea that she had been struck with.

It was as she was wondering that she realised that she could no longer spot Violet ahead of her. Slowing to a stop and trying to control her ragged breath, her eyes darted this way and that. There were several alleyways leading off the abandoned street she was on and all were equally likely to be the one that Violet had disappeared down.

Christina was about to give up hope and start fretting over how in the world she would retrace her steps to the Pearl when she heard hushed voices. Ears perked, she slinked to the entrance of the nearest alley where the sounds seemed to be coming from. Careful to be out of sight, she snuck a fast look around the corner, letting out a silent sigh of relief when she spotted the back of Violet. In the same glance, she spied a man talking to her, his face obscured by the shadows. Barely breathing at all, she pressed herself against the wall and kept as still and silent as she deemed possible.

"...the Pearl?" she heard the end of a question in a male's voice, whom she decided to be the man that she had seen.

"Yes. The Black Pearl, Jack. Everyone's there." Christina bristled at the sound of Violet's impatient sounding voice.

"Does Jack suspect anything?"

"I ain't daft. I was careful and all. They all think I'm perfect. The damsel in distress. I could never be up to anything," Violet replied with girlie, mock innocence.

"Aye, it best be so. T'night then?"

"No. I want it to be when he least expects it." Christina resisted the urge to let out a yelp of triumph. She had _known_ from the first moment that Violet had made herself welcome on the Pearl that the wench was no good. She kept listening intently.

"Why? What difference would it make? It's goin' ta happen."

"Aye, I know. But I want it to be while he's at his weakest. He'll be expecting it tonight. Hold it off until tomorrow night. I'll be ready."

_Ready for what?_ Christina's mind screeched, desperately needing to know all of Violet's devious plan. She heard the unknown man sigh in thought.

"...Fine. Tomorrow night. Have 'em on the Pearl."

"Tomorrow night," Violet agreed. Christina jumped when she heard footsteps heading back out of the alleyway. Heart in her throat, she quickly turned back and made like the wind to the next alley, ducking into the shadows just as Violet emerged onto the street. Plastered against the wall, Christina watched as the pirate stalked past her hiding place purposefully. She heard the heavier footsteps of the man Violet had been conversing with going in the opposite direction, away from her.

Waiting until there was no sound at all, Christina finally let out her baited breath. She only took a short moment to recover before hastily slipping out of her hiding place and half walked, half ran in the general direction of the docks.

_Ah ha! I knew Violet was up t'somethin'! Mostly 'cause I be writin' this tale bu' there was still tha' mystery. Please review, an' no death threats abou' me note at the top. It jus' had t'be said._

Karibbean: _Yer favourite chapter yet? I'm touched. An' it had ta end sometime. Sorry 'bout tha'._

Frank09: _Ha, ha, ha. Ye mean Jack's hand gettin' caught in her hair was not action enough fer ye? I shouldn' be expectin' any steamy scenes anytime soon, it ain't me style. So I shall be takin' ferever, luv. Sorry 'bout tha'. Cheers fer reviewin'._

_Forensic Photographer711: Sorry ye 'ad t'wait a while longer fer this one. It took me while t'write 'cause I actually 'ad homework fer once. God forbid. Aye, people shoul' not wear so much jewelry or this type of thing happens. Consider yer point well an' truly proven. Glad ye liked the Singapore bit, I've been waitin' t'mention somethin' abou' Singapore since he mentions it in the movie an' this was the perfect opportunity. Thankye!_

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _'Ello, luv. No, the Cap'n don't mind ye callin' 'im 'luv', luv. He quite appreciates the return of the favor he's been givin' all these years. Glad ye liked the kiss. 'Twas fun t'write. An' the Cap'n is BRILLIANT so he says tha' ye shouldn' expect no less from 'im. Aye, Chris, very secretly, is disappointed tha' the snoggin' coul' not continue. An' Violet is VERY jealous. Ha, liked tha last bit. Funny._

Natalie : Aye, Jack the hairdresser. Violet's 'boat' is the 'Fire Song'. Hope this is kewl enough! Bein' a pirate ship an' all. It deserves a good name. I trust ye liked this one.

ChaosLightning13 : _Ah ha! A review I can understan' entirely. An' a nice one too. One of the funniest ye've ever read? Thankye kindly. An' ye 'ave some very interestin' names there._

Ailuro: _Hope tha' some more happened in this one. I tried. No, I 'aven't read Ethan Frome. I shall 'ave t'look next time I go t'the Library. An' I 'ave some books overdue so it shan't be too long 'fore me next visit. Wait, is it the sort of book ye'd find in a library?_


	23. Fireworks and Cobblestones

_**I'm rather pleased. I 'ave reached 100 reviews. So, in celebration, all the reviewers tha' reviewed the las' chapter get a present from me. It will all be items tha' I actually own fer otherwise I would feel quite the cheapskate. Excited? Don't skim down yet, hold yer horses an' read the story first. Then ye get yer gifts. Enjoy.**_

It was just as the big search for the Fire Song or any of her mutinous crew was about to begin that Christina finally arrived back at the docks after asking innumerable citizens for directions. Out of breath and frantic, she ran up the gangplank, pushing past the crew who were heading down it. It was quite an amusing sight, with most of the members being wider than the gangplank itself and notably taller than the one person daring to come the opposite way. Finally, Christina made it to the deck and began looking for Jack. Relief coursed through her veins in plenty when she spied him, checking his effects to be sure they were in perfectly working order.

Keeping an eye out for Violet, she ran towards Jack, who looked up at the sound of the high heeled steps racing towards him. She stopped, grabbing his arm to support her weary legs and heaving for breath.

"Jack... she's going... to... set you up," Christina got out successfully, although the warning was a little out of the blue.

"Ye go fer a early mornin' run, luv?" Jack frowned, a smile of amusement twitching at his mouth at her heaving for air as he loaded shots into his gun, "Doesn't really seem like the form of exercise fer you, luv."

Christina looked up at him with a frown of her own. This was going to be harder than she had previously predicted. "Didn't you hear me? Violet. She's setting you up," she wheezed pathetically.

Jack lifted his brows, "I'm sorry?"

"She left this morning. I figured that there wasn't much of a reason for her to just go off without anyone else... so I followed her. I don't know why, I just felt like I should. She was looking worried so I knew she was up to something. Anyway, I lost her for a few moments but then found her again down this alleyway. She was talking with a man about the Pearl and you being at the docks and no one suspecting anything. That she was a damsel in distress or something. And then he was talking about doing something tonight but she said no. She said she wanted you to be at your weakest, Jack. They agreed to do something tomorrow night... I don't know exactly but... I think they're going to try to kill you," Christina finished softly.

Jack stared at her for a long time before lowering his eyes back to his gun, expressionless. He continued fidgeting with the weapon until he made eye contact with her again, still unreadable, "Well. How... elaborate."

Christina furrowed her brow in puzzlement, "Pardon?"

Now Jack grinned. She carried on frowning at him, waiting for an explanation.

"Really, elaborate. Did that take rehearsing t'get it perfect?" Jack asked, eyes dancing with laughter.

Christina realised what he meant and felt her face visibly fall, "You don't believe me?"

Jack chuckled and then sobered, giving her the most serious look he could muster under the circumstances that he couldn't help but to find entertaining, "Look, luv, I know the position that ye saw us in this mornin' may have appeared as... compromising, I was only comforting the lass. She's afraid her ship won't be 'ere."

"You think I'm accusing her of plotting to kill you because of this morning?" Christina spat bitterly.

"Nay. I jus' think that it's hardly cause fer you to come up with some big story," Jack shrugged as he unsheathed his sword and inspected it's blade.

"What's hardly cause?" Christina pressed.

Jack gave her a look, " We both know that ye can be a little jealous at times..."

Christina let out a sound of frustration, "You're just going to brush off what I'm saying because you think I'm jealous to the point of being unstable and making up 'elaborate' stories about Violet?"

"I didn't say that, Christina," Jack sighed. When she didn't stop scowling at him, he flicked the air in defeat, "If it's really that important t'ye, I'll be on me guard."

"On your guard, eh?" Violet inquired as she approached. Christina jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Aye. Ye never know who ye can't trust," Jack replied, winking at Christina in mock secretiveness. She rolled her eyes. He ignored this and resheathed his sword, "We should be off. The crew won't wait forever." And he off he was, sashaying towards the docks.

"Are you coming, Christina?" Violet asked pointedly.

Christina fixed her with an icy stare, "I don't believe I shall. I'm sure you've got yourself enough man power to find your boat."

Violet bristled at this, "I suppose you're right." She then smiled smugly, "I'm sure Jack will be _a lot_ of help. I'm so glad he's coming with me."

"I followed you this morning!" Christina snapped. Not sure if it had been provoked by the fond mention of the pirate about whom the woman had been plotting against but half an hour ago or just sheer, unadmitted jealousy, Christina's eyes widened along with Violet's.

"What?" the female pirate asked in shock.

Unable to stand down now, Christina pressed on, "I followed you. I heard what you said. I know you're setting him up."

Violet's eyes widened further, "Setting him up?"

Christina nodded firmly, "I swear, if you try to harm him-"

"I hardly think you're one to be handing out threats, lass. And I really don't think this situation calls for it anyway," Violet informed her.

"Really?" Christina spat.

"Really," Violet confirmed confidently, "Did you see the man I was speaking with?"

"I heard him. That's enough for me-"

"He's in fireworks, Christina," Violet interrupted.

"Comin' Violet?" Jack called from the docks with the impatient looking crew.

As Christina stared at her in shock, Violet smiled pleasantly and called back, "Won't be a moment!"

"Fireworks?" Christina repeated disbelievingly.

"Aye. 'Tis Jack's birthday. I wanted to do something special," Violet replied.

Christina felt like she was being bowled over, "It's Jack's birthday?"

Violet's face lit up, "He didn't tell you?"

Christina swallowed. _No._ "If Jack's birthday is today, why would you want to have fireworks tomorrow?"

"Because, like I said, I wanted it to be when he least expected it. I knew he'd think I'd be up to something today so I made it tomorrow. Is that alright?" Violet sniffed.

Slowly, Christina nodded.

"An' don't go running your mouth about this either. Keep it to y'self. It's supposed to be a suprise," Violet added sharply before turning on her heel and heading towards Jack and the crew with a bounce in her step as though the exchange had not taken place, "Coming!"

XxXxX

Christina moped around the Pearl for the rest of the morning. She was terribly depressed that Jack had seemingly forgotten to mention his birthday to her but had made a point of telling Violet. It seemed that she had lost the battle that had been raging over him. She was not desirable or naturally seductive like Violet. Violet was perfect.

Damn her.

And sod him. Violet could have him if she wanted him that dearly. If he did not deem her important enough to let Christina know that it was his birthday, he was surely not worth a minute of her time... And he was a chauvinistic pig who was incapable of any sort of slight commitment anyway. He was a rude, stubborn, irritating, proud, sexist, unstable, opinionated, offending alcoholic who was not worth her time.

_And he wears too much jewelry for anyone's good_, her thoughts added ruefully, remembering that not all of the knots caused by the rings-stuck-in-hair caper had made themselves scarce. Yes, _Captain _Violet Copper could have _Captain _Jack Sparrow. They deserved eachother.

Christina was interrupted from her riveting pity party when Ana Maria stalked onto the deck. The darker woman nodded in greeting to her before scowling into London, as if being able to see Violet, Jack and the crew. It seemed that Christina was not the only one who would reconsider doing cartwheels over this search business.

"Comin' 'ere was a daft move. Jack ain't got his clemency anymore an' he shouldn't jus' be gallivantin' aroun' as though he blends in. An' what kind of crew woul' maroon their Cap'n an' then come ta London?"

Christina nodded in agreement although she wouldn't really have a clue what was a more likely destination of a newly mutinous crew. She was not a pirate, after all. She nodded anyway, regardless, "I wouldn't be suprised if Violet was lying about being marooned all along."

Ana Maria's eyes widened with accusing suprise, "Really?"

Christina shrugged defensively, "Well... I mean, you must admit that it all seems a little suspicious. Suggesting that we come to London and all."

"No, no. I wasn't disagreeing with ye, lass. I've been thinkin' the same thing meself. It doesn't seem t'all add up," Ana Maria told her seriously.

The two women took time to mull over their doubts and dislike towards Violet.

"You know she's getting fireworks?" Christina smirked.

Ana Maria lifted her brows in suprise, "What on earth for?"

"What do you mean, what for? For Jack's birthday, of course. But, oh no, not tonight. Tomorrow night so he won't be expecting it," Christina explained bitterly.

Ana Maria looked at her as though she had gone mad then shook her head, chuckling, "So she's tryin' ta catch up on all of Jack's days before her, eh?"

"What are you talking about?" Christina frowned.

"Lass, Jack's birthday was months ago," Ana Maria informed her, "We 'ad a huge party for him and fireworks of our own. There wasn't a pirate in the next three continents that didn' come..." She faded out as Christina jumped up from where she sat and stalked away purposefully.

XxXxX

Elizabeth jumped when she heard urgent knocking on her cabin door. Hiccuping, she put down a stolen bottle of Jack's prized rum on her dresser table and swung drunkenly towards the door, "Whadiyouwan'?"

"Liz, it's Chris and Ana. Open the door."

"Bu', whadiyouwan'?" Elizabeth demanded again, picking at the lint on her creased dress with very affected motor skills. She was dead drunk.

"It's about Violet," Christina said through the door. She arched a brow when pitifully loud sobs sounded within the cabin. She was full aware of the fact that Violet was not well liked by the women aboard the Pearl but she hadn't realised that tears were being shed over the same matter.

"M'husband... loves... 'er," Elizabeth wailed in between sobs and another gulp of the rum that had managed to find itself back in her shaking hands again.

"What? Will loves who?" Ana Maria frowned.

"He... _LOVES _Violet. That's why... he's helping t'find... 'er ship," Elizabeth elaborated further in her depression.

"No, he doesn't, Liz. He loves you," Christina assured her soothingly.

"He loves _Violet_... I know it-"

"Open the door!" Ana Maria snapped impatiently, growing weary of the woman's moaning. After a bit of fumbling and sniffling, the door unlocked and opened, revealing the swaying, tearstained Elizabeth.

"Whadiyouwan'?" she asked for the third time.

"We have to find Jack," Christina told her bluntly.

"No. He's off with _Violet _and _Will_, looking for the ship-"

"We suspect that there may not be a ship at all, Elizabeth," Ana Maria cut her off, pulling her the remaining distance out into the hall. Christina closed the door behind them, putting a comforting arm around Elizabeth's shoulders.

"What?" Elizabeth asked in confusion.

"We don't think that Violet is who she says she is," Christina sighed, "We have to find Jack."

XxXxX

After the short ten minutes or so that it took to clean Elizabeth up and convince her to come, the three women were on a mission of their own. Appearing ready to attack, they stormed purposefully around the entire harbor, checking each ship for the title 'Fire Song' and each group of people for Jack, Will or the crew. Turning up empty handed, they commenced search for Violet's crew; if there was one. This wasn't hard in the least. They had only entered and exited three bars before they found the pirate they were looking for.

"Ah, finally decided to humble yerselves an' help, aye?" was all Jack had the chance to slur before the women dragged him away from the crew and, more notably, Violet.

"Jack, it's not your birthday!" Christina hissed once they were a safe distance away.

"Aye... thankye fer remindin' me," Jack frowned, obviously having taken full advantage of visiting a number of bars in their search. Had probably been his suggestion in the first place, his motives covered with the fact that pirates were likely to be found in the places.

"An' we don't think tha' Violet is really gettin' fireworks," Ana Maria told him seriously.

"Oh. Shame, that," Jack lamented in confusion.

"And... Will loves Violet," Elizabeth added helpfully with a runny sniffle.

Jack studied her closely for a moment with narrowed eyes, taking in her involuntarily shifting stance and dazed expression before pointing an accusing finger at her, "Elizabeth, if ye've been in me good rum again, I swear I'll-"

"Violet isn't who we think she is. She's been lying," Christina drowned out the rest of the threat.

Jack smirked. Then, after regarding each of the women's solemn, sober (save for Elizabeth) expressions, he realised that they were dead serious with this nonsensical rubbish. Bloody women. Always gossiping and getting themselves excited to the point of frenzy over nothing. "What exactly are ye tellin' me 'ere?" he sighed.

"I confronted her this morning about what I had heard her saying about-" Christina started hurriedly.

"Aye, about me bein' at me weakest. Right," Jack interrupted, motioning for them to continue.

"And she came up with this story about it being your birthday and how she wanted to get fireworks to suprise you for tomorrow night," Christina finished in one breath, gesturing urgently and sending wary glances in Violet's direction, who was interrogating the bartender with Will. Jack lifted his brows at this.

"An' then I told the lass how it was yer birthday months ago an' rather odd fer Violet ta want t'celebrate it now," Ana Maria added. Jack nodded slowly, staring blankly.

"So, they realised tha' Violet was lying , maybe abou' everything, came n'told me n'then we came t'find you," Elizabeth summed up, "N'Will. Where is he?"

Jack flicked his neck in the direction of Will, who was still deep in conversation with Violet and the bartender. Elizabeth, spotting her husband, stormed off purposefully.

"So, with all of this bountiful information tha' ye have presented t'me, ye decided tha' Violet must be tryin' t'kill me. Correct?" Jack asked, a grin pulling at his mouth, "An' then came all the way 'ere to warn me?"

Christina and Ana Maria took a deep breath before nodding resolutely.

"Well, I'm touched that ye consider me safety t'be of such high importance. But I assure ye, there's nothin' t'worry yer pretty little heads about," Jack told them apologetically, reaching out a hand to ruffle their hair. Both women glared at him fiercely.

"Jack! Why won't you believe me?" Christina moaned as he started leading them firmly towards the exit.

"Look, Christina. When did ye say that Violet was planning on 'avin' the fireworks?" Jack asked generously.

"Tomorrow night. But they're not really fireworks at all-"

"Fine. We can discuss this further later an' worry about it then, savvy? Now, I'd ask you charming gentlewomen t'help our mission but I get the distinct feeling tha' there would be more hindering than helping. So, if ye don't mind," Jack smiled pleasantly as he gave them a final push outside.

Moping in defeat, Christina and Ana Maria waited a moment longer and, sure enough, Elizabeth was escorted outside shortly after themselves, screeching at Jack to let her talk to her husband. Will appeared behind them, pleading with Elizabeth to settle down and go back to the Pearl. Jack quickly pulled the lad back inside and closed the door behind them. Elizabeth took a deep breath, smoothed her dress and hair and looked expectantly at the other two women, "Now what?"

"We have to find the man that I heard Violet talking to," Christina replied, rubbing her temples in worry.

XxXxX

It was growing dark when the women finally stumbled upon the alley that Christina had followed Violet to that morning.

"What makes us think tha' the man will be near 'ere anyway?" Ana Maria growled, tired from following Christina dawdle around pointlessly for hours on end, trying to find the spot where they now stood.

"I don't know where else to look for him," Christina admitted and the two other women sighed.

Elizabeth, quite sober now, looked around at the surroundings, "It looks like it's mostly houses around. Maybe he lives nearby?"

Christina thanked her silently for being constructive and trying to help the situation, "Right. I guess..." _What was there to do?_ She sighed. They couldn't split up as she was the only one who had gotten a glimpse of the man. Even then, she hadn't seen his face so how would she be able to tell?

"I think there's a tavern jus' down the block. Did he seem the type t'be found there?" Ana Maria suggested unenthusiastically. Christina followed with her eyes to where Ana Maria pointed, seeing the small wooden sign hanging high, reading 'The Roadhouse'. Slowly, she nodded and they started hesitantly towards it. Laughing and shouting drifted from inside and Christina bit her lip, hoping against hope that there would be something for them to find here.

It was just as they reached the entrance that Christina was knocked to the ground by a man that was coming out without looking. The front of her dress tore at her knee as she made contact with the road. Under any other circumstances, Christina would have jumped to her feet and verbally abused the man. However, in this circumstance, she felt that pure shock and fear would keep her staring at the cobblestones forever and an incredibly long day. She knew in the same moment he had run into her that it was the same man who she had heard. She had only needed a glimpse of his face.

It was the man who she had prayed to never see again.

_...Well, tha' was rather dramatic, eh? Ye'll find out who this man is in the next chapter... (grins, struck with genius) if ye review! Ha, now ye 'ave no choice whatsoever on the matter. So I'd like t'believe, I 'spose. Anyway, onto the presents; don't get excited, they're jus' things tha' ye'd find lying around in me room..._

AJ-Sparrow: _Aye, we all know tha' Violet was up ta no good. But, since ye seem the 'up t'date' sort, ye shall receive me prized, large magnifyin' glass tha' I got fer $1.50 at WA Salvage. Don' let the fortunate price turn ye off, it's rather handy. Jus' don' get yer finger stuck in the end as I have done on numerous occasions._

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Ello, luv. Violet 'as been called several vile terms by several reviewers. I think tha Cap'n can look yer crime over. An' yer right about Chris seein' wha' she she thinks she saw, tha' was rather tense fer all I believe. Now, ye seem tha patient sort so I am goin' ta hand over ta ye, me Siamese kitten. His name is Sir Leonardo Davinci Abendigo an' he is quite the handful but I'm sure ye'll manage. When the thing meows, it sounds like he says 'wow' so he seems in a constant state of amazement at everythin'. Have fun._

PirateLass1963: _Allo, luv. Glad ye think me OCs are bein' developed, that's always good news. Ha, Violet isn't really in the popular crowd these days. I think ye would 'ave t'fight fer the chance t'kill her. Aye, the Singapore thing seemed t'be quite the hit, I'm pleased to say. I hope this was soon enough fer ye. Hmmm, ye shall get me light up saber spoon tha' I received in a cereal box from the kind people at Sultana Bran. It really is very useful... when ye are eatin' in the dark... watchin' Star Wars... No, really, it's good fun. Ha._

Whims: _Wow, a very long review. Glad ye liked the use of Jack's rings. It really is quite unbelievable tha' they really could get caught in someone's hair but it was still fun ta write. AYE! I, with very much enthusiasm, agree on Jack bein' romantic... It's tough sometimes ta keep 'im in character 'cause he ain't really the romantic lead sort. Ha, the bucket must be passed fer some stories, I agree completely. An' ye are very wrong fer disagreein' tha' LD is not a better actor than JD. It's clear as day, luv. LD goes fer the much more challengin' roles an' gets them perfect. JD does get his roles perfect but they're no where near as challengin', ye understand? Anyway, anyway, ye shall be receivin' me alarm clock tha' wakes ye up with the sound of the ocean or the jungle or... I think the city is in there somewhere. I think it suits ye perfectly. 'Ave fun. An' I don' really follow tennis... So I am not decided on the matter. But neither am I decided... Ah, interestin'._

Ailuro: _How fittin' tha' ye should be me 100th reviewer. Ha. Oh, good ye liked the las' one. An' I am patiently waitin' fer chapter 5... Very patiently, cause that's the sort of person I be (twitches). Very patient. I never said anythin' about Leo bein' BETTER than Johnny. Jus' a little more talented. Or maybe it's more darin', I don' know. Hmmm, I shall give you... (grins) the Aviator DVD. Enough said._

Karibbean: _Aye, I'm jus' as interested in what's goin' ta happen between Jack an' Christina... 'cause I haven't really made up me mind yet... I'm jus' as in the dark as ye all! Ye shall get me Hungry Jack's uniform so I don' have ta go into work t'night. It's a win win. You get a new (very fashionable) outfit an' I have an excuse not t'show up. Pleasure doin' business with ye._


	24. Jack And Women

_**Alright, so I 'ave seemingly disappeared, aye? S'alright, s'alright, don't fret, me friends. There has been a long ordeal with me computer that only now is solved an' only with a spankin' new replacement, might I add. I 'ave moved up in the world of computers, which is a very complex and precarious one. But, I am back an' writin' this chapter fer the second time which SHOULD mean that it's twice as good but give me a break an' don't hold me t'that, aye? I know ye missed me e'er so dearly so 'ere ye go...**_

Jack was at quite the loss as to what to do with himself. The position he found himself in was a completely foreign one and an entirely welcome one at that.

The Black Pearl was silent.

As in the silent meaning the absence of any miniscule noise known or unknown to the human ear. Silent. The silence was due to the crew's exhaustion after the long day of searching and investigating, all too tired to keep up their default level of racquet. Violet was seemingly so disheartened at their lack of success on the first day that she had retired to her cabin early, too apathetic to plan tomorrow. More notably than these, the three paranoid females that had been pestering Jack incessantly were presumably off in conquest of evidence to back their flimsy case against Violet.

And so, the Black Pearl was silent.

Like a child debating over what section of the candy store to plunder first, Jack stood in the middle of his cabin, still unsure as to how to best take advantage of the blessed and undetermined amount of time. Finally, he settled on picking up the lone piece of driftwood that sat innocently on the corner of his desk and the knife laying beside it. Sighing peacefully, he flopped down onto his chair. He sent a pointed glare at the door, challenging someone to walk through it and disturb his precious solitude. Satisfied when no one appeared, he brought the knife in a soft stroke over the wood, relishing the crisp, sharp sound it made as it grazed with the grain and the slightly harsher, coarser sound as it made a motion against it. Slowly, as the piece of wood changed form, Jack's thoughts crept back to the three women's ploy.

Jack found the whole thing, unadmittedly of course, amusing. Save for the part of his all encompassing genius being, once again, looked over. He shook his head, smirking. The women had worked themselves into a senseless frenzy, assuming he was too daft to notice what they had. Truth be told, he unfairly had the upper hand, being a pirate. He had known before any of them that Violet was up to no good. He had known as soon as she had uttered the name of 'her' island and confirmed 'her' identity. And this he had known because he had met her many years before. Not this Violet, though.

The _real_ Captain Violet Copper.

Unfortunately for the original Violet, she had not been as incredibly fortunate in the department of appearance as the woman posing as her today. Violet Copper had been born with a nose sinfully too large for her face and a mouth too small for it. The space between her eyes could not have been wider or the plain brown orbs would have been on the sides of her head, trying to peer through the wiry mess that was her hair. She walked with a strange gait, each step seeming to only be an attempt to keep herself from falling forward to the ground face first. Flat chested, hunch backed and pigeon toed, Violet Copper was definately not easy on the eyes.

Nice lass, though.

Rest her soul, Jack had learned of her passing but a few months before meeting this new Violet. Something about being bitten by a disease ridden mule. Jack's lip curled at the thought. What an unfortunate way to pass. But now, Jack was a step or three in front of everyone else and enjoying it immensely to say the very least. He cocked his head in inspection of the smiling mouth that had appeared on the piece of drift wood and blew softly to clear the dust. Pleased, he kept carving as he mused silently.

His plan had been a rather unformed one to say the least. He had felt rather numb as he had offered to help Violet find her ship as he knew quite well that it would be a fool's errand. As the days went on, Jack had to rule out the possibility that Violet was just a lunatic convinced that she was the Captain of the Fire Song with a mutinous crew. She was perfectly sain, much to his lament. After long hours of trying to decide whether or not to confront her, whether or not to let her think he was ignorant to her deceiving, he had finally come up with an unbelieveably genius plan.

Do nothing.

He had already realised that Violet was not the head of this plot to catch him. It was obviously her task to retrieve him. She had no intent to try to harm him, at least for now, his thoughts added with a grimace. And since he had not an idea who she was supposed to retrieve him _to_, it would be entirely pointless to try and come up with an elaborate escape plan that may work with one enemy but may backfire with another. His best card was their not knowing that he knew.

A card that the three women had on numerous occasions threatened to snatch right out of his fingers and flash in front of Violet. He rolled his eyes thinking of their recent oblivious blunders that had threatened his upperhand. He could only hope that they were not jepodising him and ultimately themselves now.

As a round shaped head and long, winding tail began to form in his working hands, Jack sighed and decided to take what came as it did.

He had it sorted.

XxXxX

For a few dreadful, short moments, it was only clear to Christina the reason for her sudden taking to the cobble stones that she was now face to face with on the ground. She could feel the eyes of Elizabeth and the man, who was responsible for her suddenly lower position, on her back as Ana Maria abruptly dropped to the ground as well, pretending to make sure she was alright. Both women stared at the road, careful to keep their faces turned from the man that Elizabeth now shot very nearly tangible daggers at.

"You stupid _brute_! You should be careful and watch where you're going," she spat venomously. When the man only stared at her in suprise, she flung up her arms in frustration, "Well? Help her up!"

Sighing in raw obligation, the man reached out a hand toward Christina whose face was obscured to his sight, "Ye 'right, lass?"

Christina cringed at the sound of his rough voice directed at her and nodded. "Fine. I'm fine. Don't worry," she insisted to the ground before her.

"Nay, let me 'elp ye up," he slurred, shaking his hand at her impatiently.

"Didn' ye hear her say she was fine?" Ana Maria snapped fiercely, not looking up. Taken aback by the harsh response his efforts to help had aroused, the man shrugged at Elizabeth, who clucked her tongue disapprovingly, and staggered away.

"Stupid brute," Elizabeth hissed after him.

Christina had made rather a nice acquaintance of the particularly small and odd shaped stone in front of her nose by the time she was completely sure that it was safe and she jumped to her feet and brushed the front of her now soiled dress, "Do you think he recognized us?"

Ana Maria rose to her feet and thought for a moment before shaking her head, "Nay, he was too drunk to know 'twas us. But him bein' here in the first place is what I'm worried about."

"Oh God, you're right. We have to tell Jack," Christina fretted, rubbing her brow.

"Aye, I'm sure it'll do the world of good," Ana Maria muttered sarcastically.

"You must admit that believing Violet to be capable of plotting to kill him requires a little more than a slight stretch of the imagination," Christina offered in Jack's defense and pointed in the direction of the man who had been standing right before their eyes a few moments ago, "But now that we know he's in town, maybe Jack'll trust us."

Elizabeth stared at the other two blankly until they noticed.

"That," Christina pointed in the direction that the man had disappeared to, "was Samuel."

XxXxX

"JACK!" all three women, Christina, Ana Maria and Elizabeth, cried as they burst through the door.

Jack just about jumped out of his skin and in the process, sent an ugly slash across the perfectly formed body of the wooden monkey in his hands. He let out a yelp at his work ruined and then turned to glower at his intruders.

"What d'ye want?" he snapped.

"Sam's here. He's in town," Christina hissed, turning and poking her head out the door to be sure there was no Violet near by and then quietly closing it. Jack's glare instantly faded as he lifted his brows in suprise. So that was the missing piece in the mystery. It was Samuel who wanted him dead. His relief at the puzzle solved grew as his thoughts travelled to the Sapphire that floated just behind the Pearl in the harbor. Aha. Now he truly was on top of the problem. He resisted the urge to rub his hands together in glee as his eyes lifted to the women who regarded him in confusion. For the sake of their sanity, he feigned cluelessness.

"What?" he frowned.

"Ye remember, Jack. Sam, the one ye stole the Sapphire from," Ana Maria reminded him impatiently.

"_Commandeered_," Jack corrected listlessly, "Could even be seen as borrowin'... without the asking or returning..." The women rolled their eyes at him and he smirked, "How d'ye know that the man is here?"

"He ran into Chris," Elizabeth replied, "We all saw him."

Jack nodded slowly, lifting his hand to his beard in thought, "Did he see you?"

Christina shook her head, a little hesitantly, "I don't think so."

"Good," Jack decided. He lowered his brows at the women watching him, waiting for some sort of action, appreciation, acknowledgment. He lifted his lips into a lopsided grin and swept his arms, "Well, I'm glad that's sorted out."

Three pairs of eyes narrowed at him in puzzlement and he shrugged, "Thanks fer lettin' me know but I must be off now." And he pushed past them and left without explanation.

"Gibbs!" Jack barked when he was out on deck. The man came scuttling at his name, clasping his token flask.

"Aye, Cap'n?"

"Come 'ave a drink," Jack grinned, flinging his arm around the man's shoulders and leading him off the Pearl in search of a suitable tavern for some serious celebration.

XxXxX

Jack was drunk. Mr Gibbs was drunk. And celebrating. Mission accomplished.

"I still 'aven't caught wha' we're actually celebratin', Jack," Mr Gibbs frowned.

"When 'as that e'er mattered to ye, ye drunkard?" Jack laughed. Mr Gibbs shrugged in acceptance and chuckled. His stormy blue eyes peeked under his bushy eyebrows to spot the young lass whom he had noticed to be leering at his Captain the whole night through.

"Jack, I think yer company is bein' sort after," he whispered, motioning with a subtle cock of his head in the direction of the pretty young woman. Jack stole a glance over his shoulder and turned back with a proud smirk.

"What can I say, Joshamee? I ain't the type t'disappoint," he apologized before standing unsteadily from his chair and sauntering towards the bar where the woman sat, blushing when she realised he was headed in her direction. Jack grinned knowingly at the lass, leaning on the bar more for support in his intoxicated state than appeal, "'Ello, lass."

XxXxX

Jack's lips crushed against the beautiful stranger's mouth again as the door closed behind them. His hands found their way to her chest and back and she moaned encouragingly to response. Jack smirked and moved his mouth to her neck as she unbuttoned his shirt hastily. The haze in his head seemed to appreciate the rush as he unlaced her dress clumsily and as his fingers fumbled futilely, she smirked and helped him out.

The haze also stopped him from making the realization that she was in fact retying the ribbon he had undone.

It was now that one of her hands moved to her side and Jack caught a glimpse of a silver glimmer within it. He pulled back and saw the knife she clasped, aimed at his throat all of a sudden.

"Eh, luv, what're ye doin'?" he gulped slurringly.

"What, Jack Sparrow doesn't appreciate adventure in the bedroom?" she inquired innocently.

"If by 'adventure in the bedroom' ye mean romps with sharp objects close at hand then no, I don't, I'm afraid," he grimaced, eyeing her weapon apprehensively.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" she asked with the smile that Jack had found so attractive ten minutes ago, starting to seem menacing.

"'Course I do, luv. Yer the lass 'o can 'ave anythin' I own as long as she puts 'er little knife away,"Jack replied charmingly, lifting his hands above his head in surrender.

"As temptin' as your offer is, Sparrow, I'm afraid my little knife is happy where it is," the woman told him.

"So 'o are ye then, lass?" Jack ventured, eyeing the door and wishing fervently he hadn't closed it.

"I'm Samuel's daughter, you fool," she laughed.

Jack's eyes widened in shock but he instantly smiled with friendly recognition at the name.

"Ah, ol' Sam, aye? Tell the git I say 'ello."

"He's dead."

Jack feigned lament although recognizing the lie, "What a sad, sad shame that is, lass. Sorry fer ye loss but I think I can 'ear me crew callin'..."

"He died coming after you. Terrible storm. We found him washed up on the shore of Tortuga, barely breathing. There was nothing we could do but with his last breaths, he requested that I find and kill you. That was his last wish," she told him solemnly.

Jack narrowed his eyes.

"Ye takin' the piss."

The woman eyed him seriously for a moment longer before shaking her head, laughing, "Nay, I ain't his daughter. But what a convenient coincidence that would've been, aye?"

Jack cleared his throat nervously and bared his teeth in a polite smile, "Aye." His eyes darted towards the knife that was trained on his throat and stalled, "Guess that means th'man ain't dead either?"

She shook her head again, leaning in closer so that he could feel her soft breath on the side of his face. "Who would've thought the day I met the famous Captain Jack Sparrow, he would be shaking in his boots," she whispered in his ear, drawing a pin point of blood with her weapon. Jack winced at the sharp sting and she pulled back with a devilish grin, "Oops."

Jack searched his mind for something to say that would convince her not to bring the knife any further forward, "So... if ye ain't Sam's daughter an' it wasn't his death wish fer ye t'kill me, why are ye doin' this?"

"See, I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you... Not that that would make a big difference anyhow so I 'spose I can tell you," she smiled childishly. She started to speak when the door suddenly opened and after a loud thud, she fell to the floor in a heap. In the dark, Jack made out the form of Mr Gibbs, holding a bottle of rum mid air.

"Are ye alright, Cap'n?"

Jack blinked in suprise and shook his head in confusion at his first mate's sixth sense once again making an appearance. He checked the bottle, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that it was in tact and full, "Let's go."

As the two men were walking down the street towards the harbor, there was a stir of shadows and a clicking of heels on the side of the road. Jack paused, peering into the dark as Mr Gibbs tried to pull him in the direction they were headed.

"Come on, Cap'n. We best be gettin' back before there's more trouble."

"Wait. Didn' ye hear that?"

"Hear what, Jack?"

Jack stood still for a moment, willing an answer to the question to make itself known.

"Help," came a feeble cry and Jack instantly slipped from Mr Gibbs grasp on his arm, making haste for where the cry had sounded from. There, behind a carriage in the alley, he found the heaped form of a beautiful lady in a soiled but obviously expensive rose colored gown. He rushed to her side, his instinct to rescue the damsel in distress kicking in a matter of split seconds.

"Ye alright, lass?" he asked, turning her head in his direction.

She smiled weakly and held out a hand for him to help her up by. As she stood up right, Jack checked her over for any gaping wounds or signs of abuse. He found none.

"Thank you, sir," she uttered breathlessly and Jack offered a charming lift of his hat in response.

"Yer very welcome, luv... Now what on earth occurred fer a fine dame such as yerself t'be lying in an alley?"

The lady placed a melodramatic hand to her delicately pale brow in apparent distress at a memory, "Oh, it all just happened so quickly..." Jack watched as she paced around before him, trying to recall just what had happened so quickly. She turned her back to him, holding her fingers to her mouth in an attempt to hold back a sob as the other hand fumbled with her skirts.

"Lass, me ship ain't far from 'ere," Jack started towards her comfortingly. He backed away in suprise when she spun around, aiming a gun at his chest.

"May I suggest ye stay where ye stand," the woman spat, her air of propriety dissipated in the same sentence.

"Oh, dear," Jack sighed, holding his hands up in surrender for the second time that night, "I 'ave a very bad feelin' about this."

The woman smirked as she started towards him, "My, how so?"

Jack shrugged, "Premonition. It's a gift."

"Cap'n!"

Jack winced at Mr Gibbs' call and the woman bristled, her eyes turning wide, "Who was that?" Jack had no chance to reply before Mr Gibbs came barreling past him, flying towards the woman and knocking her to the ground. An earsplitting crack echoed when the gun fired before it fell from the woman's hands. Mr Gibbs quickly got to his feet and turned back to Jack.

"Run," they agreed in unison.

On the way out on to the street, the men ran into a couple of painted ladies, looking particularly menacing. "Hello, Jack," they purred. Jack caught himself before he smiled dashingly and offered a charming compliment and instead kept running.

And they fled back towards the Pearl, Jack with arms flailing as he yelped, "Why are they all trying to kill me?"

Mr Gibbs thought the question was a little paranoid considering only two women had attempted the said. His doubts dwindled though, as a few women gave chase after them. He was asking the same question as his Captain when the few women grew to be a dozen.

The women were trying to kill Jack.

One could only hope Jack and Mr Gibbs would get to the Pearl in time.

_So let's hope, aye?_

_Ha, this one dabbled in Mary Sue which was good fun. Hope ye all didn't mind too much, it was all in good fun. Again, sorry 'tis been a long while since I've been updatin'. It was out of me hands, I swear on pain of death._

TheSiriusSparrow: _Well, if it ain't yeself, lass! Nice ta have ye back. I forgive ye fer not keepin' up but I shan't apologise fer havin' long chapters! Ha. Hmmm, as gift... ye can ave me 'lil china ginger cat tha' I've 'ad since I was a youngin'. 'Tis got a chipped ear an' is always sleepin'. Take good care od it, won't ye? Cheers fer reviewin' while I was away._

The Flying Breadstick: _Aye, I already replied t'most of yer review I think... Ah, the idea. Well, seein' as the Violet isn't the Violet ye believed she was (ha, we all seem ta be confused over Violet's TRUE identity in this chapter, eh?) I don't think I can pull it off smoothly... but I have been meaning t'bring up the subject of Christina's other father fer quite some time... any other ideas? Ha, ye can have all the credit if it's as genius as that one!_

Whims: _Well, aren't you a clever lass? Glad yer on the ball! Hope ye liked it._

Pirate Obsesssed: _Glad that ye have enjoyed me story so much, luv. Tis the point, after all. Sorry I've kept ye waitin' fer so long! I really 'ave no idea how I've kept this up either! I usually start stories... an' that's the end of 'em. I think I would just feel too guilty if I stopped! Ha. Hope ye like this one._

Novthoniel: _Thankye fer readin'._

PirateLass1963 : _Hope ye puttin' that saber spoon t'good use, luv. Tis meant fer good, not harm. Aye, Jack doesn't seem t'be in too many people's good books! Hope this one explained some of the reasons fer his behavior... Sorry fer not updatin' so soon... _

blackmagic: _Hope ye weren't late fer class! Ha. Thankye kindly._

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Well, 'ello there, lass. Yer very welcome fer the kitten. Hope he doesn't keep ye up at night. He's a bit... disturbed... An' the Cap'n hopes this chapter explains his behavior that so offended ye. He's very apologetic on the whole matter. Cheers fer the review._

AJ-Sparrow: _Aye, a magnifying glass. Very handy. Ha, good t'know the story is suckin' ye in! Good fun fer me. Don't worry, there will be a moment of victory fer Christina somewhere. But Jack had t'have some credit in this chapter. I felt sorry fer him. Ye very welcome! _

justanothernameforlonely: _Thankye kindly! Glad yer enjoyin' it. Ha, aye, Violet was a lil suss throughout the whole thing, aye? Hope ye like this chapter._

2005-05-23

Natalie: _I know, I know, I felt v v v evil. Aye, Elizabeth drunk is funny. I hope I don't get her drunk too much but it's jus' so amusin'. Ye can say ye don't like Violet, it's fine. She's well used ta it by now._

Karibbean: _Thankye, thankye. Ye really are too kind. Sorry about the cliffhanger an' then not updatin' fer decades... I feel rather guilty about that... Ah well, ye'll live, eh? Ha._

DugaDugabowbow: _(gasps) My kind lady, please do not 'bah' The Aviator. I know, was a bit drawn out an such but Leo was at his finest an' fer tha' reason, ye shall not scorn the film. An' I care 'bout yer opinion so long as it is not derogatory t'Leo. (smiles) now tha' tha' is settled. Afraid of cats, eh? My cat is rather insane. Stares at things that ain't there an' then attacks them, that' sort o' thing. An' ramblin' is fine. Amuses me. Glad ye like the story!_


	25. The Terrified Brides

Christina glared fiercely at Violet as Elizabeth beside her struggled against her bonds with fury. Samuel smirked on as the final ropes were tied and the entire Pearl's crew was rendered helpless. The plan had worked better than either of them could ask. Samuel's grey eyes found Christina and his scars crinkled as he grinned menacingly, "Ah, Barbossa's lass. How I have missed ye since our last meetin'."

The scowl on Christina's face was instantly replaced with an expression of fear and loathing as she stared back at her captor's frighteningly calm face. He laughed at this, "Still as easily scared, I see." He sat down on a near by crate and cradled his very visible revolver carelessly. Violet moved over and sat beside him, smiling wickedly at Christina.

"So now we're just waiting for Jack t'show his cowardly self," Samuel grumbled. The name coming from the man's mouth sent chills down Christina's spine and she silently willed Jack away from the Pearl.

As Samuel drifted away and up the stairs, Violet smirked down at Christina smugly, "Comfortable?"

Christina glared at her, "Terribly." After a thought, she narrowed her eyes at her, "This is the fireworks?"

"I'm sorry?" Violet frowned.

"You said you were getting fireworks. For _tomorrow_ night."

"Oh, yes. That was for your own benefit, lass. Wouldn't want y'gettin' in the way," Violet replied.

Christina stared at her in realisation, "You saw me. When I followed you. It was always supposed to be tonight."

Violet smiled, "Precisely."

XxXxX

"I didn't do it! I swear!" Jack cried in frustration at the women hot on his trail, his arms flailing wildly as he ran.

He thanked his very few lucky stars as his booted steps sounded onto the docks' wooden planks, encouragingly willing him on towards the Pearl. Mr Gibbs had dropped a notable distance behind, being out run by the angry female mob in Jack's pursuit. The Captain had had to accept that the lass' were in fact after him. He had clung to the faint hope that maybe Mr Gibbs had been bedding them all at once and they had somehow, simultaneously, found out.

... It had been a very faint hope.

Jack could hardly keep running for the relief that flooded his veins when the Pearl came into view. Arms still flailing, he sprinted on, only a short few feet ahead of the women. He quickly made the last few steps to the gangplank and skidded on to it, grabbing only air for support to stop him from plummeting into the waters below. He had not planned on the deck being deserted and cursed silently as he continued down the stairs in search of anyone who could save him from the women who threatened to catch up at any moment and tear him to pieces with no explanation given.

XxXxX

The crew's eyes followed where their Captain's boots thudded over their heads from the deck above. Christina frowned at the stampede of clicking heels that chased behind the booted footsteps, wondering what kind of reinforcment he had brought with him. She lowered her eyes slightly to see Samuel grinning at the noise and realised that this was no reinforcment at all. It seemed centuries before Jack and his pursuers could be heard clambering down the stairs towards them and their running feet came into view.

"Ye'll all be sorry when me crew gets t'ye!" Jack was yelping when he reached the lower decks, oblivious to the fact that his defense was clearly tied and bound. He slowed when the women stopped in a line, an inpenetrable barrier to the stairs from whence he had came. Turning slowly with a puzzled frown, his eyes widened when he spotted Samuel, Violet and the captured crew, Elizabeth, Will and Christina.

"Blast," he muttered in realisation. Samuel chuckled and Violet smirked.

"Ya don't seem t'pleased t'see me, Jack," Samuel commented, standing to his full height and towering over Jack in the same action.

Jack gulped nervously,shot a weary glance over his shoulder at the seething women and bared his teeth in a feigned pleasant smile. "Just suprised, s'all. Had I known ye were comin' I would've tidied up a little," he shrugged with a casual flick of his hand, "What brings ye here with me crew tied up an' all?"

"Oh, y'know. Stolen ships, ancient curses, that sort of thing," Samuel replied sarcastically.

"How nice fer ye," Jack nodded slowly, eyeing Violet, "Friend of yers?"

Samuel turned back to look at her then smiled back at Jack, "Y'could say that, I 'spose. Been helpin' her out, I hear?"

"Doin' our very best," Jack replied with testy cheeriness, "Not a bother in the least."

"You're really too kind, Jack," Samuel sneered, "Too bad it always backfires on ya, eh?"

Jack only put his hand to his heart in mock lament.

"Where's me ship?" Samuel demanded.

Jack's eyes widened with mock recognition, "Funny ye mention her, Sam. I was jus' thinkin' the other day that it was about time I return her t'ye. Considerin' I only _borrowed_ her after all. Really only meant to take her out fer a short sail. But she's such a pretty boat- _ship._ Such a pretty ship."

Samuel's eyes narrowed murderously, "Bit late f'that, don't ya think, Jack?"

"Fer what?" Jack questioned innocently. He chuckled with realisation, "Ye think I'm tryin' t'get out of stealing yer ship-"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking," Samuel growled.

Jack looked back at the women and signalled at them not to kill him before stepping cautiously towards Samuel. Christina lowered her brows in confusion as he put a hand over the man's shoulders and bent so as to talk secretively to him with a lifted finger to make a point, "Now, Sam. What is a measly ship when it comes to _friend_ship, aye? I say, we forget this little, insignifcant misunderstanding an' call a truce. I'll give ye yer ship back just as ye last saw her an' ye can take ye lady friends an' have a good old time, hm? Me crew an' I'll get ourselves straight out of London, I 'aven't really ever liked it here anyway t'tell the truth so it won't make a difference t'me. So... what d'ye say?" Jack pulled back with a wide grin and put out a hand, "No hard feelings?"

Samuel stared at him for a long moment before starting to laugh uncontrollably. It wasn't long before Violet and the rest of the women joined in, all laughing at Jack, whose confidence slowly faded along with his smile.

"Jack," Samuel said with tears in his eyes, "Jack, d'ya really believe I lured ye all the way t'London fer a ship?"

Jack stared at him ruefully as Samuel put his own arm around him and clamped his shoulder in rather painful grasp, "Well, it is very pretty..."

Samuel chuckled again as he whirled the shorter pirate to face the wall of women behind him who Violet now joined. Jack stared at them blankly as they glared back at him.

"Recognise the lass' Jack?" Samuel asked pleasantly.

Jack shot him a puzzled look, studied the women and shook his head.

"C'mon, Jack. Look closer," Samuel encouraged venomously.

Jack sighed, narrowing his eyes as he slowly drew his eyes over the faces of the twleve women, regarding each individually. Suddenly, his eyes widened with shock and he would've fallen backwards had Samuel's debilitating arm had not been around his shoulders threateningly. Regaining his balance, Jack pulled away from Samuel and looked at him with accusing anger, "What've ye done?"

"What you yourself were too much of a coward to finish!" Samuel spat fiercely.

Christina frowned in puzzlement as a wave of sickening realisation visibly hit Jack and his eyes found hers. She silently beckoned him to give her some kind of explanation but he seemed to horrified to give any and only stared blankly. Samuel watched his reaction with satisfaction in his cold eyes before he nodded at Violet and travelled upstairs. Violet in turn pulled out her revolver and smirked as she trained it on Jack, motioning for him to back up against the mast so she could tie him.

"On second thought," she mused, looking at Christina, "y'might have some explaining to do, Jack."

XxXxX

"This... is _not_ good," Jack muttered as he paced the Captain's Cabin worriedly. Christina sat numbly on the bed, listening to Violet's footsteps echo away down the hall. Jack strode purposefully to the door and turned the handle forcibly. When it did not give, he shook it violently, rattling the door in it's frame futilely. Breathing a sigh of defeat, he informed, "We can't get out."

"I believe that's the idea behind locking us in," Christina pointed out sarcastically.

Jack whirled, pointing an authoritive finger, "Now is really not the time to be cynical, luv."

"Why not? Why haven't you told me what's so bad about all this?" Christina hissed, "Sure, we've been kidnapped but you know this ship better than anyone. You've got a plan, right?"

Jack shrugged noncommitally.

"Right?" Christina repeated more urgently.

"No!" Jack exclaimed, flinging out his arms in surrender, "I do not have a plan!"

Christina stared at him in suprise. She felt any slight security she might have had in the hope that there was an escape slowly drain, "This is worse than what I think it is, isn't it?"

Jack looked at her, searching his mind for a way to dodge the question, "... Exactly how bad do ye think it is?"

"Jack!" Christina cried.

"Just t'get an estimate!" Jack defended. Christina glared at him, crossing her arms impatiently and he flicked the air defeatedly, sinking down to sit on the bed beside her, "Where to start..."

"The women?" Christina prompted.

"They're known as the 'Terrified Brides'," Jack started slowly, "All twelve of them were murdered by the same man hundreds of years ago-"

"Murdered? But that would mean they're dead-" Christina interjected.

"Would ye let me explain it?" Jack frowned. Christina closed her mouth obediently and motioned for him to continue. Jack sighed, "The man went by the name of Sarbaous. After his father died and he found out that he had missed out on any inheritance, Sarbaous set about t'make his own wealth. Being handsome and young, he decided to marry into a rich family an' hence gain his bride's fortune. He married like he had planned but found that his greed was not satisfied. Filled with want for more, he murdered his first wife and moved onto the next. He became richer and had everything that he could ever want or need. But still he longed for more. His second wife became a victim much like his first and he moved on. Such continued until he was unfathomably wealthy, investing all of his money into priceless gold and jewels. But, when Sarbaous' twelfth wife died, the anger against him was so strong and powerful that it evolved into a curse. His wives were roused from their graves and walked the earth again-"

"The Terrified Brides," Christina breathed.

"Aye," Jack nodded. "Hungry for revenge, the Brides hunted furiously for their traitorous husband but he fled, ne'er to be found by even them. With the curse still unfufilled, the Brides took back their fortunes, now in the form of the enormous bounty that Sarbaous had built up through the years. They were satisfied wth that fer a while and were laid to rest once again. But legend tells that if a soul should e'er wake them and present them with a sacrifice of Sarbaous' blood, they would hand over the treasure out of gratitude once they were taken back to their tomb and permitted to kill the sacrifice. No one has ever succeeded," Jack finished.

Christina sat silently for a moment, trying to absorb the unlikely tale as fact. She lowered her brows and shook her head, "But, it doesn't make sense... Why would Sam wake them when he hasn't got Sarbaous' blood? Surely he died years and years ago? It would be impossible."

Jack eyed her, obviously having more to tell, "Improbable. Sarbaous' blood does not have to come directly from Sarbaous. The Brides will accept one from his bloodline."

Christina began to feel uncomfortable under his heavy gaze and shifted, "So, Sam found his Sarbaous' blood?"

Jack nodded wordlessly. Christina gulped, "Jack... surely... I would've known if it were..." She looked down at her lap and wrung her hands, "But, I thought we established that when you traded me for the Sapphire over to Sam that his intention was to kill me."

Jack shook his head, "But I never told you how."

_Oh the mystery, eh? Pretty full on, I know. It's not really THAT much of a cliffhanger since I already gave ye the BIG secret... I thought tha' was rather kind of me, personally. Review, review, review..._

Queen.Bowie.Jack.Sparrow.Lover: _Aye, we're all glad tha' Jack isn't as clueless as he seemed! An' we all hate Violet too, so ye're not alone, lass. I'll try me best t'keep up with updatin'. I'm a busy girl! Cheers fer reviewin'._

Siriusly Sirius Lily Black: _Aye, Jack fergot 'bout Chris fer a moment back there. Oops. He was drunk, he claims. I 'ave me doubts. I'm not sure if Chris will find out bout tha' lil incident or not. All depends on the Cap'n (sends pointed look at Jack). Thankye kindly fer reviewin' consistently. Really is a joy t'read fluid pirate._

BONANZA: _Glad ye liked the description of the REAL Violet. I felt sorry fer the lass jus' writin' it! An' don't give up on the story, luv. It's really jus' gettin' started!_ _Aye, Christina 'as yet t'find out 'bout Jack's session with one of the Brides... an' ye are very right tha' she won't be too happy about it. Cheers fer reviewin'!_

The Flying Breadstick: _(breathes a sigh of relief) So doin' nothin' did sound like Jack, aye? I thought so too but then thought it might be a bit too simple t'pull off. Glad ye liked the women chasin' Jack. I'm sure he would've greatly appreciated a change in the circumstances but ah well. (gasps) Jack a closet drag queen? Impossible... sort of... now I think about it... in a very abstract story, tha' woul' be plausible. Ah, ye don' like Will neither. Good. Sod 'im. (bites lip) I think I might use tha' idea later... could be very amusing. Ha. Aye, incense is takin' a terrible effect on ye. But ye imagination 'as a lot t'be said fer. Well done._

June Birdie: _Aye, women tryin' to kill Jack is good fun. Ha. I think it'll 'ave to happen again some time later._


	26. Sailing Into The Storm

Christina had learned a long time ago to trust her intuition. The oh so very hard way.

Sarah Whitefield. When they were both sixteen, Sarah had been a force to be reckoned with in the truest sense of the phrase. She was the ruler of London society for those under twenty-five. Her parents had control over those under sixty and her grandparents reigned over those who were over sixty and not yet dead. The Whitefields had their own kingdom and Sarah was the princess.

If society were the US Government, Sarah was the Illuminati in terms of utter and total control and deception. If society were a lion, she was the thorn in it's paw, manipulating it's every action however she desired. She was Lucifer himself in God's white robe. She would make you feel like you were the only person in the world one minute and then make your life a living hell the next. Confident people stuttered in her presence. She was a goddess.

Christina had been taken aback when she received an invitation to one of Sarah's many parties. She was Sarah Whitefield to those who did not want to be rocking back and forth, muttering self degrading words to themselves in an institution by the time they were twenty. Considering the sizable amount of people who didn't really fancy that as their destiny, she had almost as many friends and acquaintances as Sarah did herself; even if they weren't as powerful or rich.

And for that, Sarah hated her with the fire of a thousand suns.

Christina, being suspicious yet still pleasantly suprised, had quickly become overjoyed and eagerly awaited the event, pleading with her mother every day to buy her a new dress. Her mother had finally given in without informing her husband, purchasing her a dazzling white dress. Delicate embroidery of golden thread danced along the hems gracefully and the skirt swirled as though owning a mind of it's own when she turned. Christina was instantly head over heels in love with it.

The night of the party was a stormy one and the itching feeling that something wasn't right had grown. Christina considered not going at all but she quickly chastised herself for being so childish; after all, the girls were almost seventeen. Petty rivalry surely meant nothing.

Sarah had greeted her at the door with a big, kind smile on her face, taking her wet with rain coat and escorting her to the ballroom where the other guests had gathered already. As every head turned, Christina couldn't help but feel they had been waiting for her.

Sadly, they had.

"The guest of honor," Sarah announced loudly and a hearty cheer sounded from the guests. Christina smiled tightly, wondering what she had done to earn herself the title of guest of honor. She learned quickly.

"Like I was saying, I came across some information the other day that some of you may find very intriguing, I'm sure."

Christina tensed immediately.

"For a long time, I've been under the impression that Christina was just a normal person. A normal, insignificant, uninteresting person. But, as it turns out, I was terribly wrong."

Christina flicked through the people who knew her secret in her mind, trying desperately to figure out which of them could've let it slip. She could hardly believe Sarah's cruelty. She was about to be humiliated , her deepest secrets hung out for the world to see and all she could do was stand there and let it happen.

Sarah paused dramatically, much to the crowd's displeasure.

"What is it?" an impatient boy called out, rousing a few agreeing mutterings.

Sarah grinned and flicked her golden, perfect curls as she shrugged, "Not telling." The guests crowed in protest.

Christina's eyes instantly flew to the girl beside her, filled with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. Sarah winked at her, offering a secretive smile and Christina returned it once she found her bearings. She barely even noticed when Sarah discreetly nodded to one of the girls who stood near by and the girl quickly ducked away into the next room. The crowd continued to beckon Sarah to tell them but she shook her head, her blue eyes sparkling with the secret that Christina was so glad she was thoughtful enough to keep to herself.

Christina frowned when the girl who had left returned, strange objects in hand. Sarah took some of them off her and Christina's heart sunk to the soles of her shoes when she registered what they were.

"We thought you might feel more at home with these on," Sarah told her, holding out a large, tri cornered hat and plonking it on her head. The other girl draped a long, dark coat around her shoulders while Sarah roughly put an eye patch over her head. The other guests watched on with amusement, trying to figure out what Sarah was making a show of trying to tell them.

"She's a pirate!" a girl guessed with laughter in her voice.

Sarah let an innocent expression furrow her brow, "But how did you know?"

An awed silence fell over the spectators as Christina felt her cheeks burn crimson and tears of utter embarrassment well in her eyes.

Sarah put her arm around her shoulders, bringing her lips close to her ear as the first round of laughter started, "It's better to be up front about these things, Christina." Christina jerked away, looking at the crowd who looked back at her, laughing at her foolish appearance. She stood frozen for a moment, unable to fathom what had just happen as a tear spilled down her cheek.

Suddenly, she started running. Out of the ballroom and out of the Whitefield residence, into the storm outside. She ran down the cobblestone streets, throwing off the coat and eye patch and ignoring the mud that spoiled the bottom of her dress. After twenty minutes, she finally arrived at her own home, gasping for breath as the rain merged with the tears on her face.

She hesitated as she ran closer to the front door and this resulted in her misstepping, causing her fall to the wet grass in a heap, further ruining the dress she so loved.

She stayed there. She stayed as long as she could without becoming deathly ill from the cold. They knew. They knew the one secret that had kept her in her house since she was born. They would tell their parents who would discuss it amongst themselves like senseless clucking chicken in a pen. And then it would get to her father who would throw her out. His one condition for her living under his roof was that no one knew she was not his child but the bastard of a pirate.

As the tri cornered hat fell from Christina's head and onto the ground before her, she cursed herself harshly and a thousand times over for having the stupidity to trust Sarah Whitefield against her intuition. The foolish mistake had been the cause of her being shipped off to Port Royal to live with her uncle and cousin; the Swanns.

All of this had happened six years ago yet still the memory burned brightly enough for the lesson Christina had learned to stick with her for the rest of her days. Then, her intuition had told her to stay away from the party. Now, as she watched Jack swagger to the porthole, it told her there was still more that he hadn't told her. And she was eager and willing to listen.

"We're heading towards a storm," Jack informed lamentingly.

"What does that mean?" Christina frowned, standing to join him at the porthole and regarding the gathering grey cloud with apprehension.

"It means we're getting closer," Jack replied.

"To the tomb?"

"Aye."

Christina nodded grimly, watching as a bolt of lightning shot down and then disappeared in the same instant. A rumbling thunder echoed. Turning, she walked back to the bed, sitting down numbly. She studied the pirate's back as he gazed out to sea, searching her mind for an inkling of what he was not telling her. When it came to her, she was suprised she had not asked in the first place.

"How did you recognize them?"

Jack turned back to her drunkenly, "I'm sorry?"

"The women. How did you recognize them?"

Jack's expression froze as he debated over the best way to answer the question. Christina stared on unwaveringly.

"Well," he started, swinging out his arm, "there's been many people who have awakened them in the past. Sailors, lords and pirates alike. This is no new deal, luv. Hundreds have tried."

"And you were one of them," Christina finished for him.

"Well... yes," Jack admitted.

"How long ago?"

"A good ten years."

"So you woke the Terrified Brides," Christina mused. Her eyes narrowed in thought. "Which meant you had to have had access to someone in Sarbaous' bloodline."

Jack's eyes widened at her train of thought, "Don't get ahead of me now, luv."

Christina continued, "I'm in Sarbaous' bloodline and you certainly didn't know me ten years ago... which means... you had someone else. Someone else in the bloodline that you thought you would hand over-"

"I think ye may be reading into this a tad too much-"

"Someone you knew ten years ago... Jack, it was my father, wasn't it?" Christina realized in horror, "You were going to sacrifice my father, your first mate, for a bunch of treasure!"

Jack shook his head furiously, "It wasn't like that! Yer gettin' it all wrong!"

Christina glared at him, "How could I possibly get this all wrong? You've been playing victim for all this time when really, you were a potential mutineer!"

"I'm not a mutineer!" Jack shouted angrily.

"Why? Because you chickened out at the last minute?" Christina snapped.

Jack took a moment to calm himself, his anger sharping his breaths. "Look," he started quietly, "it didn't happen the way you think it did. I was looking fer Barbossa fer five years before I found him. Do ye honestly think a pathetic pirate like that could get a place on me crew because I was bizarrely impressed by him? Nay. I knew he was Sarbaous' blood when I met him. As it was in the middle of me search fer the treasure of Isle De Muerta, I had to take him on as first mate to keep him around. But not before I awakened the brides. Samuel was in on it as well, it was him who found out who Barbossa actually was."

He paused for a moment, trying to ignore Christina's fierce scowl, "Because the Brides business was keeping me preoccupied, Barbossa grew impatient with the lack of success in the treasure searching department and stirred up me crew t'feel the same. To keep him content fer a while, I gave him the coordinates of the treasure, figuring that there weren't too many souls he could tell that shouldn't know before I gave him over to the Brides. But after that, he was a better man, trying his very best to keep the Pearl in best form, looking after me crew as well as he could and the likes. The night we were t'sail to the tomb, I told Samuel that I wasn't going to go through with it. If all went well, we would still have the treasure from Isle De Muerta to keep us happy and I wouldn't have t'give up a perfectly capable first mate. Samuel kicked up a fuss and cursed me to the very depths of hell, that sort of thing. After Barbossa marooned me and found out Samuel had been in on the plot against him as well, he sought him out and gave him those lovely scars he wears today."

Christina stared at him blankly, taking it all in. She sighed and spoke slowly, "So, in summary, it's okay that you were going to betray my father because you had planned it all along to begin with and you decided not to go through with it because he was of too much benefit to you alive. Right?"

Jack lifted his eyes and a pointed finger, reviewing her words to decide if she was in fact right. With a smile, he nodded, "Aye, right."

"You stupid wretch!" Christina cried, swatting him hard on the arm. Jack yelped in suprise more than pain at her efforts and caught her arm at the wrist before she could hit him again.

"What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?" Christina shouted, struggling in vain to continue raining blows down on the pirate, "The matter is that you are a pathetic excuse for a man and don't even realize it!"

Christina was about to spit out more offensive words before a violent trembling caught her off guard and off balance and she fell towards Jack, taking him with her to the ground and landing ungracefully on top of him. As the Pearl slowly righted herself, Christina lifted her head to look at Jack, eyes wide, "What was that?"

"I would expect a lot more of that, luv. Like I said, we're headed into a storm," Jack told her as another powerful wave hit the Pearl's hull and she rocked violently. Christina let out an involuntary cry of fright and Jack smirked, well accustomed to rough seas. Christina glared at him, brushing hair from her face. She tried unsuccessfully to stand and landed on Jack again as the ship was shoved again, winding him with a knee to the chest. Jack let out a shout of pain and sat up to try and get air back into his lungs. Christina watched him without apologizing, still mindful of the bombshell he had just dropped on her against his will. If she hadn't figured it out, would he have told anyone at all? Highly unlikely.

He caught her gaze and matched it's intensity with his own as they sat on the floorboards, refusing to let her stare him down. The Pearl rocked enthusiastically again around them but their eyes did not break contact.

"You're a liar," Christina grit.

"Sorry you expected more but all I did was not tell the truth. You assumed that your father was the only one with treasure on his mind. That's no fault of mine," Jack replied, unoffended.

"Of course, how foolish of me to think that there was more to you then there seemed. You're nothing but a selfish, traitorous, cowardly, untrustworthy, no good git."

"Pirate," Jack reminded.

"Mutineer," Christina hissed.

"Minx."

"Bastard."

"Wench."

"...Fool."

"Whore."

Christina gasped angrily, "... You... You...-"

Her notably intelligent name calling was cut short as Jack's lips crushed against hers without warning. She pulled back momentarily but then, with little to no thought, returned the kiss with heated fervor, her anger at him still pounding in her veins. They leaned closer still as rumbling thunder sounded in the sky outside and the rain started to pelt down onto the decks above them. Christina pulled back, short of oxygen and stared at Jack, "You have terrible timing, do you know that? I'm about to be sacrificed to a bunch of undead scary women because of some old curse and treasure and you choose now to kiss me."

Jack smirked, "Sounds perfect timing to me, luv." Christina opened her mouth to object but found herself incapable as Jack's lips sought out hers again.

XxXxX

"I bet Jack's coming up with a plan right now," Elizabeth decided quietly. Ana Maria rolled her eyes and Will shook his head disbelievingly.

"I highly doubt tha', Miss Elizabeth," Mr Gibbs told her truthfully.

"Scurvy rat! Swab the decks, ye scurvy rat!" Mr Cotton's parrot agreed.

None of them noticed the stirring amongst their watchers, the twelve women who had stood almost perfectly still for most of the journey now shared anticipating looks with each other as the storm around them grew stronger.

They knew they were getting closer.

_Sorry this one was a tad borin'... it was sort of a filler while I figured out exactly what I wanted t'happen in the next chapter. Cheers fer readin'._

AJ-Sparrow: _Ha, ha. Sorry about yer blood pressure! I shall try me best t'tone it down a little if only fer yer own health an' safety._

JosieAndThePussycats: _Glad ye liked the first chapter. I doubt ye'll read this anytime soon but, eh, I reply t'all reviews so if ye get up t'here, congratulations._

The Flying Breadstick: _Ah, I love plausible curses. Aren't they jus' the greatest. Ha, thanks. Sam in a pink dress... with little flowers too? Oh, the details! Hm, it might subtract from his fiercesome factor but, eh, wha' can ye do? I shall see, I shall see. Ha, wha' did ye think of me suggestions? Brilliant, huh? I know. Someone's got t'be genius an' if it must be me... I think I can handle the load. Barely._

Queen.Bowie.Jack.Sparrow.Lover: _Ye fergot tha' Chris was Barbossa's daughter? Tha' is one of the main plot points, luv. I imagine the las' chapter might have got ye a bit lost if ye fergot tha'. Ha. Good t'know me story keeps ye from eatin'. Well, fer me anyway. Yer welcome fer the quick updates. I accredit it to me lack of a life. Joking, joking. I 'ave a life, jus' not a busy one so it's all fine... I sound like a loser so I'll stop talking now..._

Whims: _Me answer: Me cleverness is above question, testing an' doubt, luv. Yer jus' goin' t'have t'square with tha'. Aye, cleverer is as much of a word as cleverness... Aye, I'm 32 percent sure. Glad ye like the alarm clock. The ocean suits ye, even with the bloody sqwaking seagulls. Thankye kindly fer yer review._

June Birdie: _Chris an' Jack are in the cabin 'cause Violet decided Jack needed t'explain t'Chris why what happening was happenin', savvy? Aye. Not likely but I decided I would rather Jack tell Chris in private than with ev'rybody on the whole bleedin' ship overhearin'. _

BONANZA: _Glad ye like the idea of the Brides. Chris shall find out about Jack's encounter, me thinks anyway. It depends on whether or not it suits the plot... Oh, an' I'm ecstatic tha' ye thought Jack was in good character when he found Sam an' tha'. I didn't want him t'act too affected by it all. Cheers fer reviewin'._


	27. Seduction, Fate And Escape

"How far are we?" Violet shouted over the storm around the Pearl that rocked her mercilessly. Samuel turned to her from the helm, scrunching up his face into a scowl against the rain that pelted down with anger.

"An hour... probably less!"

Violet nodded, brushing a wet, blonde strand that had plastered itself to her forehead away briskly. Her thoughts traveled for millisecond back to the twelve women below decks, whom she was none to sure about, keeping an eye on their captives. She felt a chill tremble down her spine as she pictured them, their unseeing eyes cold, their mouths pursed and silent, their stances ready and firm. It was as though they could see revenge itself before them and knew that no mere mortal could stand between them and it.

"This treasure had better be worth it, Sam!" she called out over the sound around her.

Samuel didn't respond.

XxXxX

Elizabeth cocked her head, her honey eyes studying, scrutinizing. She bit her lip in thought, silently debating her opinion on the matter. Undecided, she tilted her head the other way again, as though changing her point of view in such an insignificant way would somehow benefit her decision making. No such luck. She was still at a loss as to what she thought. Not a very good place to be seeing as one should know what one thinks. Trying again, she narrowed her eyes, focusing completely on the thing that had her so involved.

Her eyes widened and a smile brightened her face. She had decided.

"I _really_ like that dress."

Will turned to look at his wife, a confused frown on his face, "What?"

Elizabeth pointed discreetly at the midnight blue dress before her, "I said I really like that dress." The dress was currently being worn by one of the Brides, who, upon hearing Elizabeth speak, spun around to face her. Catching sight of the finger pointed at her, she glared ferociously, striding towards her like a lioness preying.

"Why are you pointing your finger at me?" she growled.

Elizabeth gulped up at her, slowly putting down her hand. She motioned at Will, "I was just telling my husband... how I fond I am of your dress. It's stunning."

The Bride lifted her brows in graceful suprise. The crew stared back at her in fear, their eyes wide with foreboding. Elizabeth may have just singlehandedly brought about their annihilation over a stupid dress. To everyone's great shock and relief, a pleasant smile slowly spread over the Bride's face as she stood back and swirled the skirt, eyeing it with humility, "Do you think so? I thought it might be a little out of date these days."

Elizabeth, eyes wide, continued, "Not a chance! That style has just come back into fashion in Paris."

"That's what I have been trying to tell her," another Bride piped up to everyone's suprise, "Fashion goes out only to come back in. Not a new thing under the sun."

"Exactly. It won't be long before everyone is wearing them," Elizabeth agreed, feeling completely at home in the conversation despite the fact that the other participants were her undead, cursed captors.

The Bride in the midnight dress looked up in suprise, "You're joking? They are so _uncomfortable_!" She readjusted the front and sides with a frown on her face but laughing.

"Like that's ever mattered to what's in fashion," yet another Bride put her word in, rolling her eyes.

"Corsets," Elizabeth stated, none of the Brides having a clue what she was talking about but nodding anyway.

"I see not much has changed-"

The smiling Bride was cut off by a fierce snarl, "Marie!"

Instantly, the Brides swapped their smile with a menacing scowls as another approached. The new Bride swept her eyes from Elizabeth and the crew to the one she had called Marie, the one wearing the topic of conversation, "Why are you speaking with the prisoners?"

"I wasn't. I was in the middle of telling them to keep quiet," Marie lied, her unfaltering scowl making it believable. As a strong wave hit the Pearl, none of them seemed to have any trouble keeping their balance, barely moving as the ground rocked under their feet.

"I heard laughing," the Bride stated bluntly.

"I heard naught," Marie replied, looking straight ahead.

After studying her for a moment longer, the Bride turned to the other two, "Alexandra? Jasmine?"

The two stared straight ahead and both in unison answered, "She speaks the truth."

The Bride stayed a moment longer, glaring at them and then Elizabeth before turning on her heel and walking slowly away.

Marie continued looking straight ahead, expressionless.

"Sorry," Elizabeth whispered.

"Be quiet,"Marie the Bride answered stiffly.

Elizabeth arched a brow at her response and obeyed. It was when all was silent that all made the observation that there was no more sound outside. The rain, the waves, the wind, the lightning and thunder, all gone.

The storm had finished.

XxXxX

Jack stared at Christina who in turn averted her eyes as she put her arms back through the sleeves of her shift. He smirked as, under his gaze, her cheeks turned a crimson red. He would've said something to attract her anger and hence distract her from her apparent and intriguing embarrassment had he not been distracted himself.

Standing to pull on his trousers, he peered out the porthole. After stepping into his boots, he paced the room to look outside and was disheartened by what he saw. The sea was calm, deadly so. He knew that had he been standing at the helm at that moment in time, he would've been able to see the stunningly dark sand beaches of the island. It was unknown to him why the land was only referred to as the island, but, he supposed it made sense seeing as the only thing on it was a tomb. People only named things that they were proud of and who could be proud of the tomb of twelve murdered young women? He also knew that if he had been standing at the helm, he would've been able to see the small, quaint island named Ludernway, fading into the distance on his port.

With a long sigh, he turned away from the sea and back to Christina, who sat on the bed, looking at anything but him as she raked a hand through her disheveled hair and pulled it back into a presentable bun. Smirking, Jack strode slowly and purposefully towards a chair that faced the bed and sat down, training his eyes solely on Christina as she pretended not to notice. He stared as she daintily retied the front her her dress and did not change tacts in the least as she made the bed for reasons that evaded him. Finally, mid fluffing up the pillow, she paused.

"Would you _please_ stop that?"

Jack hid his grin and lifted his brows innocently as she turned to frown at him, "Stop what, luv?"

"Staring at me," Christina grit impatiently.

"Why, what ever for?"

"You're making me uncomfortable."

"How so?"

"You're staring at me!" Christina cried, flinging her arms up in frustration.

"Sorry," Jack chuckled.

"Liar," Christina accused, flopping onto the bed that she had just made so neatly.

"Ye do remember what happened last time ye called me names, luv."

Christina bristled and closed her mouth, making Jack laugh. After a moment of glaring at him, Christina gave in and laughed with him. As their faces became solemn again, Christina swallowed, trying to fight the fear and foreboding that was gripping her tighter with every passing minute. Jack noticed her change in mood and after contemplating the most appropriate thing to say to a woman who was under the distinct impression that she was to be sacrificed to a dozen zombie brides in but an hour or two, stood from his chair and sat on the bed beside her, offering no words at all as he took her hand.

Silence reigned for a few moments before footsteps were heard traveling down the hall towards them. The door unlocked and opened, revealing Violet.

"All cleared up then, Jack?" she inquired with mocking sweetness as she motioned for them to leave the room.

"Impeccably so," Jack replied lightly as he followed behind Christina with Violet on his tail, "There was laughter, there were tears, there was name calling, there was-"

"Jack," Christina cut off sharply without turning around.

"Aye," Jack smirked in response.

XxXxX

Christina could feel the cold eyes of the Brides on her back as she stepped out on to the dark shore. Elizabeth trod beside her as they were led by Violet and Samuel towards the centre of the small island.

"I spoke to them," Elizabeth whispered to Christina and Jack who swayed behind them.

"Congratulations. Charming lass', I assume?" Jack replied sarcastically, looking back at a Bride who glared fiercely at him. He bared his teeth in a nervous smile and turned back around.

"Actually, yes," Elizabeth continued, "We spoke about one of their dresses and fashion today." Christina could not help but to roll her eyes. Trust Elizabeth Turner to steer any conversation with any participants towards the most bizarre subject for the situation at hand. "I get the feeling they really are quite lovely women," Elizabeth commented.

"I must have missed that feeling," Jack grimaced.

"You spoke about a dress? Liz, we've been kidnapped by a dozen undead women and you discuss a dress with them?" Christina frowned.

"That's my point," Elizabeth insisted.

"Oh, so there is a point to the madness," grumbled Jack, attracting a scowl from Elizabeth before she explained.

"I understand that they were all just young women who happened to have a lot of money while they were living. I honestly don't believe that being murdered changed them that much."

"Apart from the dying?" Jack offered.

"Yes, apart from that," Elizabeth nodded.

"And the whole out for terrible revenge for the spilling of their blood thing isn't that much of a big difference either. Aye, they've hardly changed at all," Jack added with mock agreement.

"Let her finish, Jack," Will said, trudging behind the skeptical pirate.

"As I was saying, I think they're pretty much the same people they were when they were alive, once you get past the scary revenge aspect. They're just young women whose lives were cut short. They still have the same interests, fears, desires, weaknesses, pain and joy. They're just... dead," Elizabeth shrugged.

"I'm afraid I'm missing the point," Christina mused, "What are you wanting us to do, have a big talk about how we understand them and why they're angry before they kill me?"

"No, I'm saying that we take into account that we're dealing with mostly normal young women here and form a plan around that," Elizabeth finished. Everyone nodded, mulling over the idea in silence for a moment. Jack looked at his boots as he walked, thinking about the ridiculous observation skills the Governor's daughter had. When he looked up, he was surprised to find the others' eyes on him.

"What?" he frowned at their thoughtful gazes.

XxXxX

"This is it?" Violet asked of the large, cavernous space she found herself in.

"Some of it," Samuel replied, his coarse voice echoing off the damp stone walls dully. Violet nodded, her blue eyes roaming the area until they came across a carved border around a gaping hole that led into inky black.

"Is that the tomb?" she asked, trying to force the apprehension she felt out of her voice so that it wouldn't shake. She looked around when she got no answer and saw that Samuel was already headed towards the thoroughfare she had referred to. _That's a yes._ She turned back to the crew and Brides. Her eyes narrowed upon falling on Elizabeth, Will, Christina and Jack who seemed to be having a small argument. Jack being the minority. As she started towards them, Christina looked up and fell silent, shooting looks at Will and Elizabeth that beckoned them to do the same.

"I won't do it," Jack was insisting when Violet came into earshot. He stiffened and closed his mouth into a tight smile when he saw her edging up.

"Won't do what, Jack?" she asked suspiciously.

"... Fish. I won't fish."

"You won't fish?" Violet repeated in astonishment.

"Aye... Christina 'ere wants me t'catch her a fish. Dying wish sort of thing, ye know. I've tried t'explain t'these three that it's bad manners t'just go off fishing when ye've been kidnapped but they won't have any of it," he rolled his eyes, getting into his story, "So, out of pure obligation ye understand I'm sure, is there any way that I could go catch a fish fer Christina here, it bein' her dying wish an' all."

Violet stared blankly at the pirate before looking at Christina who nodded encouragingly along with Will and Elizabeth. She shook her head slowly, "No, y'can't go fishing."

Jack motioned at Christina, "What'd I tell ye?" Christina tried her best to look as disappointed as possible and Elizabeth patted her on the back in an effort to comfort her cousin.

"We're going in," Violet told them, a frown still creasing her brow as she turned on her heel to herd up the crew.

Once she was safely out of hearing distance again, all three turned back to Jack purposefully.

"It's the only way," Elizabeth insisted.

"It's not like you haven't done it before," Will reasoned.

Christina only gazed at him pleadingly.

Finally, Jack flung up his arms in defeat, "Fine. I can't believe I'm bein' used like this."

Decided, the four started towards the hole into which the others had disappeared. Jack slowed behind, stealing a glance at a sole Bride who had been keeping close watch on them throughout the interaction.

"So," he started with a charming smile, "How many times have ye been awoken this year, luv?" The Bride frowned at him menacingly and Jack tried to steel himself against being deterred. He continued slurringly, "Must be a pain, havin' a couple of gits disturb ye t'get their paws on the treasure, eh?"

The Bride blinked at Jack, at a loss as to why the mortal was speaking to her. She tried to stare him down but he only returned the eye contact with a dashing smile. A smile that taunted her silently, suggesting he knew that she was secretly attracted to him in a way she couldn't resist. She smirked mentally. Confidence did terrible things to men.

"I have t'say, luv, ye haven't changed at all since I las' saw ye. Still the prettiest one, I see," Jack drawled, edging suggestively closer to her. She turned her head and pierced him with a scowl so deathly that Jack's eyes widened and he stepped away without a word. He quickened his swagger and entered the tomb.

XxXxX

"I see yer still the prettiest one."

The Bride the words were aimed at almost blushed. This was the most progress Jack had seen the words evoke and it excited him. He had tried to seduce several of the other Brides in the last five minutes with little to no notable luck. So much for them being 'pretty much unchanged' since they had died. Any sensible soul would know that had these women been alive and in their right minds, Jack would've bedded at _least_ three of them by now.

Jack smiled as the Bride ducked her head shyly at the compliment he had fed to the others but a few moments before. "Aye, 'tis true," he continued brazenly, "the others dim in comparison to yeself."

"Be quiet," the Bride scolded playfully, motioning to the middle of the small, dark room where Christina stood, frightened and anxious. The rest of the crew crowded in the small room, watched in fear as Samuel prepared for the sacrifice and Violet watched on. Jack forced his eyes away and back to the brunette he now leaned towards.

"What ye say t'forgettin' all this an' gettin' out of 'ere, lass."

Wide brown eyes turned to him, "What do you mean?"

"I mean ye call off yer friends, we dispose of our kidnappers an' I sail ye all off," Jack brushed a strand of hair from the girl's pretty face, "to me island paradise."

"You have your own island?" the Bride smiled, raising a disbelieving brow.

"But, of course," Jack smiled confidently, "Ye wouldn't be missin' much here. I have me doubts that the lass is even Sarbaous' blood as it is."

"You're crazy," the girl accused although her eyes shot to Christina questioningly.

"To the contrary, ye are, luv, if ye say no. An' it would be a shame t'be killin' an innocent fer no reason."

The girl rolled her eyes at him though a playful smile still graced her lips. She wanted to believe him desperately and Jack knew the fact like his own name. He gave her the clincher; a lopsided, cocky grin that he imagined to be unimaginably irresistible judging by it's success in the past. Presto. Slowly, the brunette turned to the Bride closest to her and brought her lips close to her ear. Jack tried to hide his delight as the other Bride's face was masked with confusion and then, secretive desire as her eyes found Jack. Jack fluttered his fingers at her and she grinned before turning to pass the news on to the next Bride.

XxXxX

Samuel didn't notice the secret being passed along the walls of the tomb as he tied Christina's hands behind her back. Finishing the knot so tightly that he heard her pull in a sharp breath at the pain, he motioned for her to kneel. Glaring at him, Christina obeyed, her knees finding the cold, wet floor with a soft thud.

"In accordance with the legend of the curse, I have brought you one from Sarbaous' bloodline," Samuel announced to the Brides. The Brides looked on eagerly, save for the two that were in the middle of exchanging hushed whispers and glances at the dreaded haired pirate across the room from them. Jack willed them to hurry it along, smiling and waving subtlety although his mind screamed at their slow pace. Slowly but surely as Samuel gave his long speech about how much he had been through to get Christina where she stood and how he was worthy of the treasure, the secret reached the last Bride.

"And so I give you, Christina Lacimore of Sarbaous' bloodline. Do with her as you wish," Samuel finished as Violet watched on enthusiastically, seeming not to notice that she had not been given any credit whatsoever.

There was a deep silence that followed as the Brides stood still and unflinching. No one moved or made a sound for the fear that the slightest motion would set of the fiery rage of hell itself. Jack resisted a grin as a puzzled frown creased Samuel's brow.

"Here is your blood," the man repeated, motioning at Christina as though the Brides had not realized the favor he had done them, "Your revenge is waiting."

Still, no one moved. The Brides stared, expressionless as Samuel frowned more, becoming impatient. The crew exchanged baffled looks, wondering why Christina was still standing before them, well and alive but not daring to utter a word about it. Violet shifted her eyes from Bride to Bride, waiting for some sort of reaction to Samuel's words. Samuel now scowled at the Brides, "The legend states that whoever brings you a sacrifice of Sarbaous' blood will be given the treasure!"

The Brides stared at him blankly, offering no retort or correction.

Slowly, a seemingly drunken pirate sauntered confidently through the crowd towards the centre of the tomb where Samuel stood.

"Seems they changed their minds, mate."

Samuel turned now to glare at Jack, "They want revenge. I gave it to them on a platter. Why would they suddenly be changing their minds?"

"Desire is a very powerful thing," Jack replied with a raised finger.

Samuel rolled his eyes at him, "Fill me in, Jack, like I know you're dyin' to. What 'ave ya done t'make them change their minds so suddenly?"

"Well, if ye insist," Jack smiled obligingly, his eyes narrowing with all knowing, "I simply gave them the choice of something more... alluringly attractive than killin' the lass." He motioned at Christina who stared at him blankly, not quite sure yet if all had gone to plan but having to go along with it all the same. The Brides watched on now, the slightest hints of smirks on some of their faces. "Ye've always underestimated me, mate," Jack sighed, examining his nails nonchalantly.

"Is that so?" Samuel hissed.

"Aye, 'tis," Jack nodded, "But yer mistake cost ye a lot more this time."

Samuel cocked his head in confusion, not noticing the Brides slowly moving in. Violet did, her eyes growing wide at the sudden change of tune the situation rang. The crew stepped back as the Brides came through and no one did anything to stop Jack as he went to help Christina up.

"Did it work?" Christina whispered as she was gently pulled to her feet and her hands were untied.

"But of course, luv. Who could resist?" Jack smirked. Samuel watched, agape and filled with rage and foreboding as his captives filed out of the tomb quietly until the only fourteen people left were the Brides, Violet and himself.

"This is absurd! I gave ya the blood!" he shouted angrily at the unhearing women. Violet could not find the words to speak as her doom circled closer around her.

The crew heard faint echoing of terror filled screams as they hastened towards the Pearl.

"What did you promise them, Jack?" Will puffed as they ran.

"A holiday t'me island with me charming self," Jack replied over his shoulder.

"Nice," Ana Maria commented sarcastically.

"I thought so too," Jack agreed.

They were only at the shore for a few seconds before everyone was in the rowboats and rowing madly towards the faithfully waiting Pearl. Christina saw the storm that they had sailed through to get to the island still waiting a mile or less away.

"We're going back into that?" she asked. No one answered. She nodded, taking the silence as a solemn affirmative.

They stepped foot on the Pearl within a few minutes of leaving the island and Jack was instantly at the helm, barking orders to the crew who obediently got to work with urgency rarely witnessed in their actions. The Pearl heaved into motion as the Brides could be seen pouring out onto the sand, their seething able to be sensed as far away as they were.

"Why are we in such a rush? They won't be able to get off the island, will they?" Elizabeth questioned Jack.

"They're dead, Miss Turner. They can get off the island however the hell they please an' when they do, they'll be coming straight after us," Jack replied grimly as the first rain drops splattered onto the Pearl's wooden deck.

"Oh," Elizabeth offered numbly.

"Aye," Jack nodded.

Behind them on the island, the Brides started to disappear from the shore, straight into the sea. Christina watched, immobilized by the sight until she could finally tear her eyes away and close her gaping mouth, "Where are we going?"

"Ludernway," Jack answered, starting to struggle to steer the Pearl as the storm raged with increasing force, "It's not far."

"And then?" Will asked hesitantly.

No one was surprised that there was no answer.

_I'm thinkin' this'll be the las' chapter t'this story an' I'll start up a next one. Sorry it was so long. Well... not really but I feel the need t'be apologetic when... I'm not. I would be much obliged if ye took the time t'review, but, if not, suit yerself._

wayunlucky13: _Ah! Quizilla! Back in the day, eh? Cheers fer trackin' down me story 'ere an' reviewin'. I'm glad ye like it._

Spilt Glass: _I'm glad ye love me 'beautyful' fanfic, luv. Aye, ye did review twice an' nay, I don't mind. An' I am really rather fond of yer memory. 'Tis amusin'. I do realize how hard it is t'remember the names of people's characters so I am flattered tha' ye remembered ol' Christina. See, they got together! Hoorah. Ha. Hope ye liked the chapter an' wasn't bored t'death by the sheer length of it._

TheSiriusSparrow: _Aye, I made up the Terrified Brides idea. A bit far fetched an' all but that's pretty much POTC. Finally caught up, eh? Congratulations. Take good care of tha' cat, aye? Very precious t'me. An' it's wounded too so don't go takin' it swimmin' or skippin' anytime soon, savvy?_

Rhiana: _Thankye so very much fer yer kind review! I really, really, really appreciated it t'the greatest extents. The whole night, aye? I'm very flattered but sorry tha' I kept ye up tha' late... or early, whichever way. I'm pleased ye like the humor, I do try me best t'keep it light no matter the situation (as I'm sure ye notice in this one). An' it's 27 chapters now, luv. But tha's it fer this story I reckon. I'll start a sequel within 2 weeks. Tasteful writin' is good! Thankye. An' tha' scene with Jack an' Chris? All fer yerself, lass. Ha. I don't think Jack got picked on in this chapter TOO much. Apart from bein' used t'seduce a bunch of women. But he's been doin' tha' all too voluntarily his whole life so I figured it wouldn't be too tragic fer him. Glad ye liked tha' quote. I remember tha' line. It jus' came t'me an' I thought the same as yerself so I typed it in. Again, thankye kindly fer yer review an' I hope t'hear from ye again!_

Sparrow's Lovely Lass: _Aye, the fake Violet deserved wha' she got, I reckon anyways. Thankye fer yer review, luv._

The Flying Breadstick: _Will an' a fetish fer possums, eh? Aye, I think tha' was quite the genius idea meself. We 'ave possums in our roof at the moment an' with the noise they make, the only fetish I imagine someone could have would be t'stomp on 'em repeatedly but, eh, Will's always been an odd one. Ha ha ha, a furry animal on Jack's back? Tha' is such an' amusin' thought tha' I may jus' 'ave t'do somethin' with it. I'm patiently awaitin' fer yer return from yer holiday (which I hope yer enjoying immensely) an' fer ye t'update! So hurry up, aye?_

Queen.Bowie.Jack.Sparrow.Lover: _Thankye kindly fer the review. I think tha' if the plot keeps yer involved, it doesn't matter if yer on yer toes or on the edge of yer seat... as long as yer comfortable._


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